New Year's Resolution: Start Collecting Art

A Guide to Making and Keeping Your Art Collecting Resolution in 2018

It’s that time of year again. We pledge to eat healthier, be happier, and throw money at pricey gym memberships we’ll never actually use. Here’s one resolution worth sticking to: start collecting art. 

Why should I start collecting art?

Unlike that gym membership, the perfect piece of art has no expiration date, no cancellation fees, and is something that you’ll enjoy and appreciate in your home every day. There are also no excuses; technology has made it easier than ever to purchase art. You can buy a painting from the comfort of your living room sofa with the touch of a button.

Buying a contemporary artwork is more than just a monetary transaction. Its value and impact extends far beyond the number on the price tag and its place on your wall. When you buy an artwork, you are investing in your community, promoting the arts as a cultural institution, bolstering the career of an emerging or mid-career artist, and possibly, embracing a meaningful message or cause. 

Identify & Develop Your Taste:

The first step to collecting is knowing what you like and what you don’t like. Collecting art is less about aesthetics and more about self-expression. The best piece of art—the one that’s truly worth your investment—is something that captivates you both visually and emotionally. That something is different for everyone; taste is personal. The more time you put in, the more you’ll refine and clarify your personal taste.

If you aren’t exactly sure what speaks to you, look around and see what’s out there. Visit auctions, galleries, and museums. Events like SoWa Boston’s First Friday are great opportunities to explore a diverse range of styles and converse with gallerists and artists alike. Browse through websites like Artnet and Artsy. Scroll through Instagram (try #contemporaryart). The educational process of collecting is an ongoing one… The more informed you become, the easier it will be to identify what you like or dislike and why.

Installation of Soul Sea I (2017)
Natalia Wróbel. Oil on canvas. 72x60 in.

Know Your Budget:

Art collecting is for everyone. Whether your budget is $100 or $100,000, there is something out there for you. Buying and collecting art should be easy and affordable, and fine art should be accessible to everyone. Don’t be discouraged from pursuing an artwork a little out of your price range. ArtMoney is a great tool for fitting that once-in-a-lifetime, have-to-have-it piece into your  budget with monthly payment plans.

Most importantly, make sure it’s something you love:

Always acknowledge what you like, regardless of what you may think you’re supposed to like or what is current. Your art collection is a reflection of you, so be true to your personal taste. The real value of collecting comes from the enjoyment of having a great piece of art in your home, not from the potential of re-selling at a higher price. Your art collection is an embodiment of your identity and individuality, much like the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. Over time, your collection will expand and evolve, becoming a visual diary of your life and a timeline of your personal evolution.

9 Contemporary Art Terms You Need To Know

You’ve heard these words being used before, and you probably have a vague idea of they may mean, but sometimes we can all use a quick refresher.  Whether you’re purchasing art, or just appreciating it, here are 9 terms that will pop up again and again.

Modern Painting:
Flag Station, Elizabeth, New Jersey (1925)
Oscar Bluemner
Watercolor on Paper
10 5/8 x 13 3/8 in.
Courtesy of the MET Museum

Contemporary Art vs. Modern Art 

It can be easy to mix up these two terms–they seem to mean the same thing.

Modern Art starts roughly around the second half of the 19th century and extends to the 1970s. With the rapid changes of the Industrial Revolution, artists began to move away from traditional definitions of art and experiment with subject, technique, and materials. Visual arts before the Modern era focused heavily on narrative, often depicting religious or mythological scenes to instruct the viewer. Modern artists, however, drew their inspiration their present surroundings, and used their work to critically examine and challenge art in more abstract ways.

Contemporary Art picks up where Modern Art left off around the 1970s, and extends up until this very moment. It is the current art of our time, and is the successor of the new possibilities opened by Modern Art. The definition of Contemporary Art is constantly changing, and artists today are all making their mark on the movement.

Contemporary Painting:
Portal to Lhasa (2016)
Natalia Wröbel
Oil on Canvas
40 x 60 in.

Graffiti vs. Street Art

While Graffiti and Street Art are both energetic forms of public art, through which the artist challenges traditional practice, they are not the same.

Graffiti is not only an art form but also a cultural movement. The goal of the artist is to "tag", or brand, the city as quickly as possible without getting caught. Usually these artists are self-taught and express themselves with an air of immediacy.

Street Art, while Inspired by graffiti,  is executed by artists who have had some formal training.  The artist’s message is more methodical, as it is premeditated and developed. Sometimes commissioned or painted with permission, street art makes for a less risky public art form.

Provenance

Whether you’re at a museum or starting an art collection it’s helpful to know what this term means.  Provenance is a documentation or recorded history of the artwork’s owners and housed locations from the moment it was completed up to the present.  This information helps to determine the artwork’s authenticity and originality, which can increase the work’s value.

Certificate of Authenticity (COA)

Whether for insurance purposes, selling, or auditing art, a certificate of authenticity or original invoice proves the value of an artwork.  The certificate must be an original document (not a photocopy) with the artwork’s title, name of artist and/or publisher, medium, dimensions, and the title & contact information of the individual that validated the certificate.

Giclée

Giclée, pronounced (zhee-klay), is a relatively new type of printing process in which high quality reproductions of fine art are made using an inkjet printer.  The desired image is digitally scanned and printed with quality inkjets on various materials, such as canvas or photo-base paper.  The printing process lends for great color accuracy to stand the test of time over other reproduction processes. When you purchase a Giclée piece, know that you are getting a very high quality print, but not an original.

Encaustic

 Dating back to ancient Greece and stemming from the Greek word enkaustikos, meaning “to heat or burn in,” this ancient painting technique has seen a rebirth in the 20th century.  The process consists of melting transparent or opaque wax with the option of mixing in pigments.  After the wax is melted down it is applied to the surface with a brush or spatula.  Experimentation with collage materials or creating designs with a stylus can be done on each layer.  After each layer, you’ll want to fuse the wax with a heat gun to create a bond between each layer and smoothing out any uneven surfaces.  The result: multiple layers of wax creating a luminous yet softly haunting image.

Flag (1954-55)
Jasper Johns
Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric mounted on plywood, three panels
42 1/4 x 60 5/8 in.
Image Courtesy of the MoMA, New York

Outsider Art

Outsider Art refers to work produced by self-taught artists, or those not affiliated with an artistic institution. Since outsider art reflects more of the artist’s emotional or mental state, words such as “raw” or “naïve” are often used to describe this type of work.  Many view outsider art as more approachable or “refreshingly unpretentious", because of its unstudied and non-referential nature.

Keenan Derby
Lost Horizon (2016)
Acrylic and Sand on Canvas
35 x 28 in.

Impasto

The Italian word impasto, meaning ‘paste,’ is a painting technique that involves the thick application of paint, creating textured and three-dimensional surfaces.  Earlier artists often used this technique as a way to suggest certain textures such as lace or hair.  Later on, artists, such as the Impressionists used impasto to express their personal process and energy.

Impasto can be seen throughout todays art world as a way to add dimension, suggest specific textures or feelings, or create visual illusions or drama.  This technique can be inviting with it’s tactile nature of thick brush/ palette knife application, drawing attention to the artist’s hand at work.

Retrospective

Retrospective is a term you have most likely encountered at a museum or gallery. It refers to an exhibition of either the entirety of a phase of an artist's practice, or quintessential examples of their lifework. This type of exhibition is most often reserved for artists who have a long career to source from. When you go to see an artist's retrospective, expect a thorough and representative sampling of their art.

Wednesday, August 3: Laurel Marsh

Defining the “Emerging Artist”

Since the recent opening of our gallery, we are often asked about the artists we will be featuring. Our response always includes the term, “emerging artists.” This leads to the million-dollar question: what does “emerging artist” mean? Ultimately, there is no exact or singular definition of an emerging artist, we can only define the term as it fits into the context of our gallery. 

According to Abigail Ogilvy, “the term emerging artist is interchangeable with the phrase 'new artist.' The work is not defined by the age of the creator, although we do call it 'young art' - meaning it is new to the contemporary landscape. These artists are passionate about their own body of work and have the freedom to define how they will make their mark in the art world. What is exciting about an emerging artist is that their work today may be very different in five years, ten years, but that is what makes the work emerging is that it is dynamic, constantly evolving, and always growing.” 

We asked a few of our artists to weigh in on the topic:

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"Outside the Lines" by Katie Wild
Photo courtesy of Abigailogilvy.com

Katie Wild, considers the act of emerging as transitional. “Emerging artists are typically classified as recent MFA graduates and resolute risk-takers (such as myself) who have snowballing potential but do not yet have a big museum on their Curriculum Vitae.” For Katie, it is the transformation from new artist to an established artist. She continues, “We are the voices of today screaming passionately to all who will listen in hopes of becoming the music of tomorrow.”

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"Sway" by Holly Harrison
Photo Courtesy of Abigailogilvy.com

Holly Harrison proposes that all artists are emerging in various ways throughout their careers. “Making art can be such a solitary activity,” she says, “so in that sense the process of putting work out into the world is an emergence for every artist, whether they are fully established or just getting started.” 

"Untitled" by Elisa Adams
Photo Courtesy of Abigailogilvy.com

Elisa Adams’ view of “emerging artist” has changed over time. “The first thought I have, when I think of “emerging artist,” is one who creates later in life…but when considered more fully, it really means a space to create art, to grow concepts and to further develop skills.  “ Elisa has been sculpting 3D forms out of stone for eleven years. She still considers herself emerging as she develops new skills each day as her sculptures present new challenges.

Since there is no true definition for the term “emerging artist,” some artists choose not to use any labels when defining themselves or others. Sara Galkin prefers to strip down the labels created by the art market, “As a label I do not consider myself subject to a definition because I am just being me.” 

Wednesday, October 28, 2016: Lacy Tell