We spend so much amount of time in our living area and for that reason which makes it welcoming, grounding and joyful is crucial. Filling your home with art gives it personality and makes it feel your personal. Even though many of us wish to include art within our homes, choosing what where to buy can feel overwhelming. This isn't helped by the fact that the skill world is notoriously inaccessible and intimidating. However, this doesn't have to be the case. With the right advice and expertise, buying art can be a wonderful experience.
At as soon as, more and more people than ever are buying art. According to The Independent, art platform Partnership Editions saw a 254% rise in sales between March and April 2022 while online art marketplace riseart.com reported a rise in customer order values of 65% between April and September 2022. Online art sales doubled in value from 2022 to reach a higher of $12.4 billion, and 71% of Americans plan to redecorate in 2022, so more people are buying art online than ever.
“During lockdown but still today, most people have been spending much more time at home, and I think everyone is noticing particular walls that feel bare. The fact that art transports and inspires you continues to be much more important throughout the lockdown,” Rachel Simkiss, Head of Brand at Clarendon Fine Art, noted. Here, we chatted to experts about what you need to know prior to making a purchase.
Getting started
Art features a huge category of things. It's not only paintings or drawings but sculpture, photography and decorative pieces too. The first major point to note is that with all art you will get originals (a unique piece the artist created) or perhaps a print or copy. Naturally, originals always cost more. Before you decide to first buy art it's worth taking into consideration what type of art you might like and what budget you have in mind.
After that, there aren't any real rules. It's better to go with your gut. “Trust your eye and don't be worried about what other people let you know should be buying,” Elizabeth Dellert from Affordable Art Fair commented. “When building an art collection, it's a very subjective experience, and you've got to connect using the piece you're buying. There isn't a right or wrong way,” Simkiss concurred.
Similarly, don't choose pieces based on money or what might increase or down in price. “Buy art because you like it, and also you wish to live with it in your wall in your own home. If you learn in Two decades that the art went up in value, you are able to feel smug about your taste, but you shouldn't buy art trying to make money,” Dellert said. Inside a similar vein, don’t get too stressed out through the pricing process or whether a piece is 'good' or 'bad' value. Concentrate on that which you like, and also the rest will fall into place.
Some use art based on a space within their home they particularly wish to fill while some purchase a work after which find a place it will sit. Each method are valid but when you actually love a piece, you will always find a spot for it to go. Think about what aesthetic you're going for – i.e. bold, bright, and colorful – or calm, serene, and minimal? 'The placed you want to put the art may factor into how you would like it to look – is the room mostly in neutral colors, where a pop of color will make sense, or is the area design classic and traditional, in which a replica of the Claude Monet or Paul Cezanne would look fitting?', says Alix Greenberg, the fine artist and founder & CEO of ArtSugar.
If you're looking to spend a large sum of money or are searching for advice on buying multiple pieces, consider shopping with an art consultant or advisor. Check out the listings page on the Association of Professional Art Advisors to find someone suitable. They are able to advise on aesthetics as well as the business and finance side of making art purchases. Some art sites feature curated collections by theme, popularity, new releases, cost, subject, etc. This curation might help whittle down the choices available. ArtSugar features an Influencer Curated section with collections curated by influencers for example Vogue contributing editor Jenna Rennert, celebrity jewelry designer Stephanie Gottlieb, and celebrity Lance Bass.
Where to purchase art
There exist several various ways you can purchase art. These are the most common ones.
Try: You will find galleries in each and every major town and city. Locate one in your area via the-art-world.com
Try: The Affordable Art Fair, Frieze or New Art Dealers Alliance
Try: Sotheby's, Christie's or Artsy
“Art e-tailers uniquely offer exposure to emerging artists that they're going to not enter brick-and-mortar galleries”, says Greenberg. ArtSugar is expertly curated to suit a distinctively glamorous, on-trend, and uplifting aesthetic. Plus, ArtSugar donates arises from every purchase to notable charities for example God’s Love We Deliver, Gyrl Wonder, and also the Trevor Project. It has an exclusive selection of affordable art prints, sculptures and home goods by artists popular on Instagram, together with in-house designs.
You can also buy art on general listing sites like eBay, Etsy and Gumtree – however, proceed with caution if you are spending a lot of money.
Try: Artfinder, ArtSugar, Saatchi Art or Tappan Collective
The logistics
When buying art online, take into account shipping costs. Always enquire exactly what the cost to ship a piece of jobs are before buying as prices can be high due to the size or fragility of the work. You could also have to pay additional costs for insurance for sending an item. If you are buying from abroad, there might be also customs charges. Enquire with the company you are purchasing from and if they can't guarantee your final total price, shop somewhere else.
There are taxes to pay too. There's a sales tax on all pieces, and extra taxes if you are purchasing from a different state or abroad. Of course, seek advice from the vendor about what everything is and if the taxes are contained in the asking price. If your artwork increases in value with time, you might be susceptible to Capital Gains Tax when selling again.
Counterfeit pieces are also an issue. As a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it in all probability is. To avoid buying forged pieces, always shop from a reputable gallery, auction house or online retailer. If you're spending a lot of money, think about using a skill consultant or advisor before making the sale. “See when the artwork comes with a Certificate of Authenticity or if the site offers a money-back guarantee. You may also check the e-tailer's customer reviews and press discussed these to find out if counterfeit art continues to be a problem in the past for them”, says Greenberg.
Framing your art
It's not only about the artwork but the frame too. Frames are firstly a practical necessity. “Framing protects a piece and that should always be a consideration for this type of special purchase,” Dellert said. Secondly, a frame can definitely change the way you see artwork and just how it sits inside a space. “Framing is such an individual choice but it can absolutely enhance artwork and should continually be at the rear of the mind when considering a brand new piece. Think about the way a frame can enhance the impact an artwork can have in your wall. It can increase the scale of something small or it may be so subtly that the artwork simply sings,” Dellert added.
If you need assistance with framing, odds are the gallery you bought from will be able to help. “A gallery will nearly always frame the job to the specifications of the artist, and for that reason will likely be well suited to – for instance, you wouldn't want a very heavy, detailed, and traditional frame on a contemporary work,” Simkiss explained.
“Shoppers can visualize how their ArtSugar art will appear hung with ArtSugar’s AR feature on each product page. Lifestyle photos from the art hung inside a room on art e-tailers' sites also help you envision the way the art might look before you purchase it,” says Greenberg. Be sure to consider the size dimensions of the art piece and use a tape measure to ensure it will fit in your wall, or perhaps in your living space if it's a sculpture. The e-tailer's Instagram page may also show examples of art from their site hung in customers' homes.
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