Tips for Figuring Out Your Art Collecting Style
Hello Next Up Collector Community!
I’m sure many of you have come across the following predicament: you just moved into your apartment or just started working in a new office space and you want to add a piece of art, but you have no idea where to start. Maybe you Google “artwork” with a few key words about size, color, or type of work you are looking for, but you are quickly overwhelmed by the search results. We have all been here before. Even myself, an individual working and studying in the industry for several years with a large amount of resources and knowledge, feels overwhelmed. The first step in narrowing down your search would be to identify your collecting style.
Step One: What Type of Artwork Are You Looking For?
The first step is identifying what type of artwork you are looking for - is it an oil on canvas work, is it something sculptural, do you want something digital through the form of an NFT, or perhaps a three-dimensional multimedia artwork?
Then, ask yourself, do I prefer something abstract? Something figurative? Do I want to see every detail of the work or do I want there to be an element of imagination within it? Do I like something geometric to fit in with my modern house or work space? Do I want to juxtapose my modern or neutral toned living space with something colorful or contrasting - or would I rather have the artwork blend into the space seamlessly?
Step One: Identifying the Type of Artwork
To the left are works by Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder and Francois-Xavier Lalanne along with Anchor chairs by Greta Grossmann.
This would be an example of selecting a work in order to complement the colors and tones already present based off the interior design and palette of the room.
Image Source: Larry’s List Instagram
Step Two: What Aspects of the Work Do You Know That You Want For Certain?
The second step is to identify aspects of the work you may want - for example, do you know if you want something colorful versus something with a neutral color palette? Do you want something black and white? What size dimensions are you working with in the space? For assistance in how to properly measure your space before purchasing artwork, we recommend visiting this website.
Step Two: What Aspects of the Work Do You Want/Need?
Knowing how big of work you are looking to find, as well as the orientation you want to hang in, is very important. You may also consider how it will look positioned next to the furniture already in the space. How do you want the piece to speak to the rest of the room?
Image Source: UTR Decorating
Step Three: Is There a Certain Artist You Are Looking to Support?
The third step would be to identify if you would like to support a certain artist - perhaps you know for sure you would like to purchase an artwork from a woman artist or perhaps you know you would like to support an artist whose roots are within a certain part of the world? This is the fun part of the process, as you are able to support an individual whose story you resonate with. If you do not know the answer to this, don’t fret - you can figure it out as you go.
Step Three: Is There an Artist You Want to Support?
This is the fun part - is there a type of artist that may speak to you? You can narrow down your search by looking just for women artists, or artists from a certain geographical part of the world, or artists that address societal changes that are also important to you too.
Image Source: Larry’s List Instagram
Step Four: How Does the Artwork Make You Feel?
You want to make sure you are collecting works that you truly love. Many artists and collectors will advise you to support and purchase artwork that brings you joy every time you see it. Does this artwork bring you joy? Does it add an element of happiness to your daily life when you see it?
Step Four: Does the Work Make You Happy?
It is so important to collect an artwork that makes you feel happy inside - does this work bring you joy?
Image Source: Larry’s List Instagram
If you feel overwhelmed or do not know at all what you may be looking for - then consult social media pages such as Larry’s List, Art Basel, Tate Modern, Frieze, Major Galleries and their Pages, Artsy, and others. Or - get in touch with Elise and she will help to find you the perfect artwork for your individual tastes and space.
Follow Next Up Collectors for regular emerging and mid-career artist updates as well!
