Collecting in times of Corona: Tips for a New Collector

The best way to collect art for your beautiful home is by following a simple three step approach. First, start small. Second, buy what you like. Third, ask for advice (but don’t necessarily follow it). 

First, start small. This means not becoming disheartened if you cannot have that Picasso or Monet collection from day one. It means sensibly collecting choice items, bit by bit, in harmony with your surroundings, according to a budget you have set aside for that very purpose. If you cannot afford a painting by George Condo for that white space in your living room go for a drawing instead which is still hopefully going to give you pleasure and appreciate in value. If a Klee or Miro is what you are after and you do not have the funds even for a drawing, think instead to buy a print. Or a photograph by a blue chip or rising talent endorsed by reputed critics or collections. Little by little, you will start to understand your own tastes. You will not take hurried decisions, and you will begin to develop a rapport with certain artists, boutiques and galleries. They will start to email you about new works.   

Second, buy what you love to look at. You would not paint your walls bright orange if you did not like that colour, right? Why buy a work and put it on your wall that is hideous in the expectation that it will be valuable? A work of beauty will give you as much joy in your home as designing your home itself. Think of your walls and spaces as frames for your artwork: one compliments the other, the yin to the yang. This protects you in the future: if your artwork does not rise in value as you had hoped, it does not matter. You love the work and your primary goal in buying it was to bring yourself a happiness in adoring it in your space. 

Finally, take advice. You must love the work, naturally. But this does not mean going overboard and not having a sense of what the market thinks is a good purchase. Buying emerging artists is a good idea if you are on a budget. But you need to be careful that artist’s star is rising and that you are not paying over the odds (just because a gallery or dealer tells you they are worth it). You could choose to consult us at In The Frame (intheframeart.net) to get an idea of which emerging artists are creating works in London, Paris and New York and other art hubs who are worth a look. On the other hand there are also lesser known regions where established artists have been creating superb quality works for much better value than established artists in the more expensive and saturated cities. 

For more information, please contact Noor Kadhim (noor@intheframeart.net)