HOW & WHY TO BUY ART:
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Buying art is a major
investment, one worth careful consideration. Acquiring bad art or
paying too much for it may haunt you for a lifetime. Following are
some of my tips on the process...
1) Chose your gallery wisely- you are relying on their professional
guidance.
2) Buy contemporary artwork. Whether living or dead, some artists
produce fresh conceptual artwork, while others imitate or rehash art
of the past. Look at their resume and most importantly, their body
of work.
3) Compare. Compare again. Be confident you have the best value for
your money.
4) Buy time-honored materials. Bronze, granite, marble, steel, oil
or acrylic on canvas: I personally shy away from cold cast bronze,
polymers, vinyls, etc.
5) Buy truly original works. Even PRINTS. But look carefully.
PRINTS, compared side by side, will show slight differences. Use an
eye loop. Etchings, hand pulled lithographs, block PRINTS and
serigraphs are all PRINTS. Don't be duped into paying high prices
for offset lithographs or giclees, even if they are color enhanced
or remarqued by hand.
6) Consider the edition size. Editions under 100 are great, but what
if, as in Neiman and Dali's case, there is an edition for every
continent on the planet? And look at Bev Dolittle's great value,
with editions of 80,000. Know the entire scope of the printing; then
make an informed decision.
7) Buy art because you love it-not because it's going to make you
money. Most art investments do not make money, and when they do it
is years after we are dead.
8) Consider art your friend and psychiatrist . . . this may sound
corny, but what is the value of admiring and enjoying your art at
the start of every day, before you go on the "to do" list. It is a
reward, a payment into your spiritual bank that you can tap into
every day.
9) Art recreates the presence of a lost love one. The ability to
look into your artwork, which bears an exacting likeness, allows for
tender, personal, private moments. A very special sort of reflective
communication within your mind happens. I know, I revisit my late
father all the time.
10) Document your legacy. Leave something beautiful behind that
suggests your presence.
11) After you've done all this, look again at the artwork. Look at
the eyes, hair, shapes and colors, and other details. Have they been
lovingly, accurately and proportionately depicted?
12) Is there a return policy? Get it in writing.
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