Fine Art - Love vs. Investment
There seems to be two modes of thought concerning art collecting. Love of the art vs. love of investment. At best, these two camps unite.
Art, although generally one of the most stable investments (along with coins, vintage wine, vintage cars, comic books and toys), can be one unpredictable piece of work (as it were)!
This is why I was so interested to read a recent New York Times piece entitled Young Artists Rode a $712 Million Boom. Then Came the Bust. It’s behind a paywall, but sharing some screenshots. Look at the highlighted pieces below. 90% depreciation, and I love each piece. Goodness!
Although Teal Canvas has a number of artists whose work has proven to appreciate over time, that wasn’t the primary focus when curating our community. It was to create a diverse pool of talent whose work speaks aesthetically, emotionally and provides intrinsic value to our clients.
I love art for just that, the love of art. The expression on canvas or through material, created through the lens of the artist. The experiential nature as it affects the viewer. The way art plays with color, movement, history, to manifest the uncommon. The story a piece of art tells.
So let’s bring this all together.
Art as an appreciable asset. In a world of everchanging markets and unpredictable tides, it can be extremely stable. It can also be an exercise in volatility.
Thankfully, there is another lever to pull. Collect art for your or for your client’s tastes. For the feelings it inspires. For the way, when you walk into a room, it is an immediate statement. For instance, the immediate reaction I get when viewing Xenia Gray’s piece above and below. I love it. I love the way they challenge me. The emotion. The intrigue.
I was looking at comments in the Instagram post by the NYT of this article. This one hit me:
“Years ago a friend worked for a very prestigious gallery. The Blum-Hellman Gallery. One of them told her to always only buy art you love. This way it doesn’t matter if the art work appreciates because you have something you love and admire. I have bought some art over the years and have a home filled with art that I love. This was very good advice”.
Collect art to collect art. This way, it will never lose value.