{"id":29307,"date":"2018-07-02T12:55:28","date_gmt":"2018-07-02T12:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artzealous.com\/?p=29307"},"modified":"2018-07-02T16:11:32","modified_gmt":"2018-07-02T16:11:32","slug":"ask-the-collector-with-holly-hager-collecting-101-bringing-art-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/ask-the-collector-with-holly-hager-collecting-101-bringing-art-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the Collector with Holly Hager: Collecting 101\u2014Bringing Art Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a work of art hits you in the gut, what do you do next?<\/span><\/p>\n

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I understand how intimidating it is to take that first step, but you\u2019re already halfway there. We all surround ourselves with things we love. Without a thought about resale value, we buy furniture, gadgets, and decorations that cost just as much as works of art. The idea that art isn\u2019t for ordinary people is an obsolete leftover from when society was divided into unbreachable classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Having been an art outsider most of my life, I get it. The art world, with the if-you-have-to-ask-you-can\u2019t-afford-it atmosphere some galleries have, can feel really unwelcoming\u2014especially when you\u2019re first starting out and aren\u2019t sure how to tell profound from pretty.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But that\u2019s changing. Sellers are getting more transparent about their pricing. They\u2019re realizing that no one wants to risk asking about a work of art that turns out to be way above their price range. (Ugh\u2014it\u2019s like having your credit card declined!)<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you haven\u2019t read my first column (Collecting 101\u2014Your Eye and Your Gut<\/a>), here\u2019s a quick recap. Don\u2019t buy the first thing you see. Spend time browsing so you build an image bank in your head of what quality art looks like. There are more ways than ever before to discover art: online platforms, social media, galleries, art fairs, artists\u2019 studio tours, and auctions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Price doesn\u2019t necessarily equate with quality.<\/strong> When you like a piece, ask yourself whether it hits you in the gut. The better the art is, the more deeply it\u2019ll make you feel\u2014no matter the price tag. If the work doesn\u2019t communicate anything profound to you, chalk it up to infatuation and move on, you haven\u2019t found true love yet, but you will. In fact, you\u2019ll love a lot more works than you have room for. That\u2019s the hard part\u2014deciding which art you\u2019re going to actually bring home.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As soon as you decide to take the art plunge, set a low impulse-buy threshold that\u2019s well below your budget. Whether it\u2019s $100 or $10,000, don\u2019t buy any work above that threshold without thoroughly researching the artist first. (More on how to do this later.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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My husband and I often make impulse buys while we\u2019re traveling. We bought the two watercolors that are in my office on a trip to Moscow many years ago, but we didn\u2019t just see them and pull out a credit card. Here\u2019s how we find art that makes us happy for the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Develop relationships with art professionals you trust.<\/strong> This is much easier than it sounds. When you\u2019re in an art setting, don\u2019t be afraid to ask about the work you\u2019re seeing. Art professionals are usually incredibly knowledgeable and love talking about art. Asking, \u201cCould you tell me more about this work?\u201d is a great opener. I\u2019ve learned most of what I know about art by chatting with artists, curators, and gallerists.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Only buy from reputable sources.<\/strong> Art doesn\u2019t have an expiration date. If someone tries to hard-sell you on a piece of art, walk away. Any reputable seller will hold (reserve) a piece for you while you think about it for a couple days\u201a even in the heat of an art fair. \u201cReserving\u201d it means they\u2019ll get in touch with you before they sell it to someone else to see if you still want it\u2014at the same price they originally quoted you. If you do hesitate too long and regret losing the piece, you can almost always commission another piece from a living artist. Commissioning doesn\u2019t cost anything extra. You just have to wait until the artist makes it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Reputable sellers will always give you a signed certificate of authenticity that includes an image of the work and all of the specific information about it. Also ask for a dated, detailed invoice\u2014not just a receipt. You\u2019ll need both for taxes, insurance, and provenance (the history of who\u2019s owned the work). If a seller won\u2019t give you this standard documentation, there\u2019s something wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Even with impulse buys, research the artist. <\/b>Daria K.\u2019s work had me from the minute I walked into her show, which was her first solo exhibition. Artists often depict tragedy through action or the evidence of action. Think of a crucifix, like the one I have from Ricardo Linares. The tragedy is the realization that a human was nailed to a tree and left to die. (Linares\u2019 version is special to me because the cross has sprouted roots and branches.) But Daria K. communicates anguish just through the expressions on her subjects\u2019 faces. She paints the wounded, and we can all relate to that.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Folk art by Ricardo Linares<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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One of the best ways to learn about what you\u2019re seeing is to read the short press release or artist\u2019s statement that explains the intent of the work. Read it before or while you\u2019re looking at the work. Learning art\u2019s context deepens your understanding of it and can give you the hit in the gut you\u2019re looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I immediately connected to Daria K.\u2019s work, but I was really hooked when I learned her story. Her work stems from shocking personal experience. As a teenager, she was in a terrible accident…with a train. She was so badly injured that she was hospitalized for a year. That\u2019s why she\u2019s so good at communicating suffering and the strength it takes to overcome it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Finally, don\u2019t be afraid to ask the gallerist or the artist which work they think is the most important. I was torn between a few of Daria\u2019s works, so I asked the gallerists which pieces they thought were the best in the show. Their expertise helped us make a great final decision, and the works we chose inspire me every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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top image \/\/ A Couple Against the Light and A Man<\/em> by Daria K. in my office over Druk\u2019s dog bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Holly<\/span>\u00a0Hager<\/span>\u00a0is an art collector and the founder of\u00a0Curatious<\/a>. Previously an author and a professor, she now dedicates herself full-time to help artists make a living from their art by making the joys of art more accessible to everyone.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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