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Not so long ago, drawing became the new painting. From small-scale and intimate to wall-sized, highly-worked or resolutely low-fi; whatever its format, the re-appearance of a once side-lined medium marked a dramatic shift in its fortunes and indeed, assumptions about art in general.
But why the change? Was it that, in an art scene increasingly driven by fads, drawing became du jour simply because it hadn’t been for a very long time? Or were other, less obvious factors at work?
In fact, the re-emergence of drawing was far from market-driven, and its increase in profile a far slower process than any newly voguish status might suggest.
To understand something of its current impact, it’s necessary to look back at the closing years of the 20th century. A time when, to the eyes of many, the art scene looked very different indeed.
Throughout much of the 1990s visual austerity and a certain restraint governed the work of a new wave of artists; many of them British, many high-profile.
Figures such as Darren Almond, Damien Hirst, Martin Creed, Rachel Whiteread and a re-discovered Allan McCollum typified an art scene driven by hands-off, conceptual practice and stringent theoretical undertow.
Even artists whose work, by contrast, seemed more ludic and theatrical – Maurizio Catellan, the Chapman brothers, an ever-enduring Jeff Koons – shared a taste for slick, expensive, mechanized output. And in fact, looking back, there’s a certain synchronistic poetry to the fact that Marc Quinn’s ‘Self’ portrait, a principal icon of the era, quite literally froze the blood.
Further tendencies underpinned the general sense of pristine, chilly surface. Graphic design in the late 90s exulted in the hard edges of its newly perfect digital genesis, while on a popular level, serious flirtation with ‘minimalism’ induced homeowners to replace comfort with pristine surface and spacious void.
Clearly, any attempt to rapidly define a moment in art history is doomed to over-simplification. A vast array of artists stand in lush counterpoint to Hirst’s surgically steely cabinets or Whiteread’s pale, negative spaces. The work of Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Daniel Richter and Jörg Immendorf – to name just a few – all manifest an obvious delight in exuberant mark-making or absorbed, painterly gesture.
Yet it’s certainly true that what generally made the headlines – the dissected sheep, the on/off lights, the unmade beds – were essentially ‘conceptual’ works that side-lined direct artistic intervention. And it’s also true that, with the internet truly coming of age in the ’90s, such highly publicized aesthetics became instantly and widely accessible for the first time in any history. In the mass public eye, art had gained a hard, new edge.
Yet elsewhere, a wildly contrasting vision was being far less well documented. On America’s West Coast, in particular, the long-gestating seeds of a brimming alternative scene were beginning to bear considerable fruit. Its influences were multiple and diverse, yet shared the fact that all lay well outside the contemporary mainstream.
In LA, for example, the ‘underground’ drawings of Ray Pettibon – linked initially to the rock scene then distributed through short-run zines – had garnered fervent admirers throughout the late ’70s & ’80s. A major exhibition in 1992 succeeded in raising his profile both throughout the States and abroad.
Yet Pettibon’s work was merely the best-known facet of a burgeoning counter-culture. One which, since 1986, had found a major advocate in the now legendary La Luz De Jesus gallery in downtown LA.
This space, located incongruously above an offbeat gift store, focused entirely on artists whose backgrounds and influences sprang from an array of popular cultures such as illustration, folk art, comics and tattooing. And this output, crucially, tended towards an intricate figurative craftsmanship more closely associated at the time with illustration than so-called ‘fine’ art.
The gallery and its stable of artists proved a speedy and influential local success, and in 1994, Juxtapoz, a magazine founded by Robert Williams (himself an artist and friend of famed underground artist Robert Crumb) also began to showcase this growing wave of alternative art.
Utterly at odds with the rarefied, theory-led aesthetic dominating contemporary practice at the time, this new sensibility came to be regarded as a movement. Its roots and position were defined by not just one label, but two: Low-Brow, or Pop Surrealism.
Resolutely populist – bordering, even, on kitsch – its appropriation of popular style and content within a fine art context questioned long-held assumptions regarding the parameters of art itself. Revisiting the earliest tenets of Pop Art, it nevertheless totally dismissed that movement’s later associations with Warholian mass production.
And in San Francisco, too, similar trends were at work.
In the 1990s a group of artists including Chris Johansen, Clare E Rojas and Barry McGee emerged to form a distinctive new scene. Their work, though sharing much with the Low-Brow phenomenon, differed in several important respects and became known as the ‘Mission School’ in recognition of its essentially San Franciscan flavor.
Local influences contributed to a more whimsical, looser approach to image-making than LA tendencies at the time. Street art such as graffiti formed an intrinsic part of the scene, but was generally refined into a figurative rather than textual medium. The legacy of underground comics pioneered by the likes of Robert Crumb was also evident in cartoon-like characterization and a witty, humorous edge.
More importantly still, while painting lay at the heart of the Low-Brow movement, drawing was much more widely adopted by the Mission School artists.
In a nod to the hand-drawn agitprop and pyschedelia of ’60s Haight-Ashbury, they revived techniques such as detailed patterning, hand-lettering and découpage. Materials, too, were frequently unconventional; ball-point pens, markers, recycled paper, wood or metal all found a part in the Mission School look.
This ‘regional’ distinction was clearly underlined in publicity for a 2000 show at LA’s New Image Gallery:
SAN FRANCISCO DRAWING SHOW curated by: Alicia McCarthy and Chris Johanson. May 19 – June 17, 2000.
Straight out of San Francisco, drawings of over 15 artists will be exhibited …. Currently there are important artistic trends developing out of San Francisco. Drawing is at the root of this development.
Meanwhile, however, America’s East Coast found itself forced (for once) to gradually acknowledge a nexus of creativity occurring elsewhere. While many commentators, curators and gallerists became increasingly aware that some kind of real cultural shift was taking place, others seemed slow or simply unwilling to recognize its impact or legitimacy.
Yet the growing appeal of Low-Brow and related work – especially amongst a generation of new and emerging artists – was undeniable. New galleries opened to deal exclusively in the genre, and Juxtapoz, along with many of its featured artists, began to acquire a cult following. Its international distribution and the broad reach of the internet helped ensure that this new sensibility filtered beyond the US.
The ‘unofficial’ Californian scene gathering pace in the ’90s was intrinsically linked to a rejection of prevailing artistic practice – the notion, as Fred Tomaselli later put it, “…that people are a bit tired of the over-rationalism (sic) of the art world, this idea that you can get to everything through the cerebral.”
Yet its ethos was otherwise hugely democratic and unifying, a statement of validity for neglected or side-lined art. There can be little doubt that its emergence provided an impetus behind the current interest in drawing.
But this interest – and with it, the resurgence of a particular kind of artistic engagement – was not, of course, solely confined to America’s West Coast.
Elsewhere in the States, Laylah Ali’s first major show of meticulously patterned, faux-naif works took place at Chicago’s MOCA in 1999 (she had been featured, along with Chris Johansen, at New York’s Drawing Center in the summer of 1998).
Julie Mehretu, likewise emerging towards the end of the ’90s, fused painting with drawing in a myriad of complex mark-making, while Canada’s Royal Art Lodge, formed in 1996, produced whimsical drawings, paintings and objects reminiscent of the Mission School’s output.
In Europe, similar trends were also underway. As the 20th century drew to its close, Sweden’s Jockum Nordstrüm was gaining recognition for his beautifully rendered, twisted tableaux of far from ordinary life. Switzerland’s Marc Bauer produced vigorous drawings that exemplified the medium’s strength, and in Britain the hand-drawn zine was adopted by Olivia Plender, albeit in a highly polished form.
While drawing, obviously, had never disappeared entirely from the gallery, these artists represent just a few of those contributing to its rapidly growing visibility towards the end of the ’90s. A resurgence now so evident that, though prompted by certain definable factors, it nevertheless seems organic, almost essential; a phenomenon that quite possibly identifies as well as answers very current needs amongst today’s young artists.
And what are they?
Well to start with, drawing is cheap. For those struggling with the high costs of studio space and materials, it’s a medium that’s financially viable as well as a manageable means of production.
What’s more, it’s hugely inclusive. Everyone, at some point, has experienced the act of drawing at some level, a participation which affords even the most casual observer a sense of involvement in the medium; a visceral engagement in its use that conceptual art forms often lack.
Yet despite this refreshingly egalitarian glow, it also appears that much of today’s output seems directed towards highly individual, even arcane expression, a practice exemplified by intricate, almost obsessive mark-making.
On the one hand, this wholly supports an ethos by which today’s artists seem to demand an intimate, personal and evident engagement with their art.
Painstaking detail and labor-intensive mark-making represent artistic endeavor for which the artist alone is responsible. No third-party construction teams, no assistants on hand to dab a brush as directed. This art is about making in the purest possible sense.
A parallel explosion in use of craft elements – beading, glittering, collage, embroidery – as well as the growing popularity of zines and artists’ books – mirrors this quest for hands-on, highly personalized involvement.
Yet more intriguingly, demands for creative ownership may well serve needs besides a revision of artistic involvement.
Art, of course, has always been about reflecting and interpreting the world, but the early 21st century seems to have experienced a particularly profound re-appraisal of exactly what the world involves. The outlook is an uneasy one, marked by a growing sense of schism and dislocation, and in particular, the notion of circumstance veering out of control.
To return briefly to Pop Surrealism, true to its ’surrealist’ label the movement is marked by subversion of apparent reality. Typically, this takes on disturbing, anxiety-ridden form; bio-morphed figures inhabit scenarios laden with threat; an undertow of violence is darkly enhanced by imagery plucked from childhood.
And importantly, unlike Surrealism, which investigates the interior spaces of the human psyche, Pop Surrealism obliquely focuses on physical, actual realities. Those genetic hybrids, ruined landscapes and constant simmer of threat don’t merely exist in our nightmares. They’re with us now.
The movement itself may have had its day as far as the art market is concerned, but the zeitgeist it portrays is clearly here to stay.
Consider, for a moment, Jean Dubuffet’s famous description of L’Art Brut
“Those works created from solitude and from pure and authentic creative impulses – where the worries of competition, acclaim and social promotion do not interfere – are, because of these very facts, more precious than the productions of professions. … we cannot avoid the feeling that in relation to these works, cultural art in its entirety appears to be the game of a futile society, a fallacious parade.”
Though written in the 1950s, the proclamation reads now like a perfect manifesto for the kind of anti-establishment art scene we’ve been discussing. Yet quite apart from epitomizing a ‘purer’ alternative to the mainstream, the kind of art Dubuffet describes now carries connotations far beyond those of his original assessment.
The ’simplicity’ of naïve or folk art harks back – in popular nostalgia at least – to carefree, less complex times in which a sense of place and purpose were clearly defined. It’s little wonder that its revival coincides with acute apprehension regarding our own, turbulent times.
By contrast, much outsider art is clearly associated with not belonging – a characteristic most evident in its embrace of art produced by the mentally ill.
Yet here again there’s a definite connection. Such work often originates through its use as a therapeutic tool; a fact that throws interesting light on the intricate, involved delineation of much recent drawing and painting. Indeed, in its conspicuous efforts to order, pattern and negotiate space, such complexity provides almost casebook examples of conflict-solving Gestalt.
More interestingly still, a significant proportion of contemporary practice doesn’t just seek to interpret complex realities, but actually sets out to create them through construction of highly personal, alternative worlds.
Paul Noble’s well-known drawings of fictional ‘Nobson Newtown’ are devoid of human figures, yet imbued with visual invention and idiosyncratic textual comment. A clear intention is to provide a reflection of the mind of their maker: as Noble himself puts it, “town planning as self-portraiture”.
Other artists’ fictional worlds provide similar arenas for grappling with issues that echo or parallel our own.
Michael Whittle, a recent graduate from the Royal College of Art, creates intricate drawings melding religious iconography with motifs garnered from heraldry, alchemy and science. The resulting images, snapshots of impossible states, underpin the artist’s own desire to “make sense of reality” while also investigating “… man’s attempts to come to terms with existence”.
Camille Rose Garcia (whose practice, though largely identified with painting, includes much drawing) is well known for deceptively enchanting visions of what amounts to a near-dystopia. A recurring cast of characters battle to save or destroy a poisoned, dying world. The baddies, unfortunately, seem to be winning.
Art today appears to be grappling with a spiritual, political and therapeutic function that arguably, it hasn’t reflected quite so clearly for centuries. And the fact that drawing, the most immediate and spontaneous of mediums, forms a vital aspect of the interpretation of a complex world should come as no surprise.
Postscript: Drawing right now – who we’re liking
The energy of the California scene continues apace, with San Francisco still arguably the epicentre of new drawing – check out the wonderful work of Sara Thustra, Sacha Eckes, Andrew Schoultz and Simone Shubuck (a San Francisco native, though now resident in New York).
LA practice remains particularly diverse, but artists who make exciting use of drawing include Travis Millard, Adam Janes and Gina Triplett.
Elsewhere in the States, we enjoy the work of Carter, Aurel Schmidt and UK-born Dominic McGill (best known for his epic, 65ft ‘Project for a New American Century’).
In Europe, Richard Höglund produces interesting drawings informed by semiotics, and in the UK, artists of note include Sarah Woodfine and Adam Dant (the latter have both been recipients of the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
Most exciting of all, newcomer Laura Oldfield Ford creates large-scale, beautifully rendered drawings with astute political commentary at their core, as well as the cult zine ‘Savage Messiah, an extraordinary foray into the psycho-geographic terrain of London.
Contemporary art has gained a significant importance in modern households. It has become very popular in contemporary households and is recognized in every aspect of human life. Contemporary art has been omnipresent; it is recognized as a tool for interpersonal communication and has had far reaching effects. The increased attendance in art exhibitions and unprecedented sales of various art forms signifies the importance contemporary art has been receiving. It is an indicator about the awareness of art amongst the general public.
The major reason of success of contemporary art is that it is easily understood and appreciated by the masses. The accessibility has become easy for the masses as it is released in numerous copies and forms like disks and books etc. Such mass production of art has made art more popular, while preserving its unique values. Original paintings which were a distant dream for common people at one time are now accessible through galleries. It has further increased the number of admirers for the art.
However there is an argument raised by the contemporary art critics about reservation of some art form for certain group of people. Their argument is that the true appreciation of some art form can come only from some people who can understand them. In other words an artist can only understand the value of an art. This might be true in some cases but not in all, as a creator would like to get appreciated from as many people as possible. Modern art works today are created by many people, and are made for many people. There are various examples of successful groups who present art together and to as many people as possible. Thus, it can be easily concluded that contemporary art forms will continue to express publicly understood ideas so as to be appreciated by as many as possible.
A play, a novel, a music composition, film, or a painting can be successful irrespective of the views of artists or critics. It solely depends how it has been able to touch your emotions and has expressed itself to the general public.
There are various ways of acquiring modern art today . Online auctions are one of the ways where by abstract arts, oil-based painting, and impression arts can be purchased. Before buying any art form it is necessary to do some homework on what art you would like to collect and what appreciation you are looking for in that art. One can do any amount of extensive search on the internet for the categories of art forms to be collected. There are some other ways also like libraries, magazines etc which can give you more information about your favorite category.
One has to be really careful while purchasing art as there are lots of fakes circulating for a popular art. However one way to find about the genuineness of the art is to appoint an appraiser for the art you would like to purchase. Big auction houses like Sotheby uses the same technique for all the art forms before putting it up for sale. Online auctions like eBay are the tricky ones, and in this case you should directly communicate with the art seller to find out more about the art. Online art auctions usually keep a track record of the art seller’s sales history and can help you to determine whether the seller is a reputable person.
Our political world is surrounded by art and images we put together with different meanings, (eg: a good leader). Leaders have used artwork to persuade us in many ways for many many years.
How does art created for a dictator differ from art created for a freely elected leader? In what was is it the same?
There is no best art, only a practitioner, every one has their preferences.SO what martial art do you find works best for YOU? If you cross train please tell me what combination of arts you think work best for you. Please only people who train in arts, not a person behind the computer saying muay thai, BJJ, and wrestling because it works in the UFC. Thanks.
clowns you contribute alot to Y!A MA community but are you sure you practice Tae Kwan Do? you seemed to have spelled it wrong, or is it a typo?
Edit: clowns I am an on and off martial artist some martial arts I have taken a few classes in but can’t say are my arts are Kyokushin karate, Tae kwan do, and Judo. I have trained for 1 and 3/4 year muay thai 1/2 year mma, and 2 months bjj. I also took Krav Maga for 3 months but you can say I don’t have that much experiene compared to others on th MA Y!A board.
Oops meant to say experience*
I can’t imagine a worse scenario for an eager and enthusiastic art student than enrolling in a over crowded art class run by a mediocre art teacher
In short order the student is set up for loss after loss. The basics of drawing and painting either not taught in an easy to duplicate fashion, that the art student can grasp, or very often they are not taught at all!
Quite Frequently the student makes the decision that drawing and painting is just too hard and gives up. The student will incorrectly find the fault with themselves, often with the self generated concept that they do not posses enough natural artistic talent.
Whereas most of the blame usually falls on the shoulders of the student, the true cause falls at the feet of the art instructor and poor instruction.
This is exactly what happened to my wife.
My wife is from Toronto Canada. She originally came to America as a student to study fine art in a university. The instruction was terrible.
Both my wife’s drawing and painting classes were taught entirely on the irresponsible method of “if it feels good go with it.”
Unfortunately my wife could not “feel” her way into learning basics such as capturing light and shadow, how to draw in proportion, the use of color and tone, how to sketch in charcoal, differences in working with oil vs. watercolors.
Needless to say she the only thing that she could “feel” good about was changing her major.
With hundreds of colleges and thousands of private art instruction schools across the country how does one go about picking an art instructor that will teach one how to draw and paint properly?
I was lucky enough to be able to ask Larry Gluck what one should look for when choosing an art school and instructor so one achieves their goal in becoming a better artist.
Larry Gluck is the founder of the world’s largest fine art program.
After 33 years employing hundreds of art instructors and teaching over 3,000+ students every week how to draw and paint this is the advice Larry has in regards to choosing an art teacher…
“Here are a few pointers on what to look for in a fine art teacher. I hope they help in your search for a good drawing and painting instructor.
1. Do you like the teachers work?
It’s important to respect what your teacher does. Now matter how objective he is about his work, he’ll teach you what he knows – and what he knows will be reflected in what he does.
On the other side of the coin, do not judge the instructor only by their artwork. Teaching art is not the same as creating art, and some teachers are very good artists but horrible instructors.
Others don’t have enough intention to help students through the rough spots. Although a teacher much have knowledge and talent to merit teaching his subject, the determination to help you and see that you indeed learn should be his top priority.
2. Does your teacher start with the fundamentals?
A gradual approach is necessary to learning. You start with the most basic fundamentals and continue from there. All to frequently the teacher assumes that you already posses a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals, or worse, the instructor is not familiar with them enough in order to teach them.
Also, some teachers are involved in the arts for such a long period of time that the use of the arts fundamentals are automatic, so much so that they are no longer aware of them. This of course, would be a terrible failure on the part of the teacher – but it does happen.
3. Are you actually improving?
If your art teacher teaches you the fundamental skills, on by one, ensuring you master each one before going to the next, your skills should improve.
If not, something is wrong with the instruction, not with you. A good instructor should be able to break the needed skills down into steps simple enough for you to learn successfully.
4. Are you being treated as an individual?
We all have different strengths and weaknesses. The good art instructor will realize this and treat each art student as an individual. A poor teacher treats everyone the same or has a few favorite students.
5. Is the class overcrowded?
If there are more than ten students with only one instructor, you won’t benefit from what he has to give you.
Since everyone is different in regards to ability and what one is aware of, there has to be a way for you as a student to to receive one-on-one instruction with the instructor.
6. Are you training with people you like?
It helps to learn with people who encourage and support one another, admire each others efforts, and are genuinely pleased to see other’s progress.
It would also help to have friends with whom you can also discuss the art form.
Companionship within the arts causes growth in the artist.
7. Are you pitted against others?
Some teachers feel that competition is needed among students is necessary to spur them on. It isn’t.
Perhaps the teacher will be less bored but it does nothing for students, particularly in the arts.
You should only be competing against your present limitations.
8. Is it a safe environment in which you feel comfortable learning?
You must feel safe and secure in all learning environments.
This is especially true when learning an an art form where the stakes are so high and the intimidation factor can be so great.
If you feel intimidated anyway when you go to class, it’s probably the teachers fault, even if the intimidation comes from other students.
A competent art instructor is in control of the students and is responsible for how they interact with each other in the classroom.
Some instructors intimidate students with an overbearing manner.
Some instructors will set themselves up as a major authority on the subject of art or unattainable examples of artistic talent.
Some favor a few students over others.
If this is occurring, find a new art instructor.
9. Is there criticism without help?
An overly critical teacher can make you give up.
Criticism without instruction on how to improve is hinderance, not a help.
Rather than continually pointing out what is wrong with what you are doing, a good teacher should give you tasks to do.
A student progresses by winning, not loosing. Ask yourself if you feel better since you started the class – better about yourself, your ability, and what you are doing. If not, change teachers.
10. Are you getting individual help?
Maybe her is a piece of information you don’t quite comprehend, or a technique that you just can’t put into application.
Does the teacher take the time to help you? Is the art instructor prompt with the help but patient with handling your question or problem?
Can the instructor get to the root of what ou are having a problem with and help you figure it out?
If not you are wasting your time and money.
If you aren’t getting better and having fun while doing so, your instruction is falling down on one or more of these points.
Review these ten tips and locate exactly what the problem is. If this turns out that you cannot fix this by speaking with your instructor, you will have to find a new teacher.
All art forms appear difficult to a beginner. A good teacher will show you not only that excellence is attainable, but also how.
You may think you cannot do it or feel you do not have enough talent, a good instructor knows that you can and will make sure that you learn to.”
Art in any form is a sheer pleasure to the eyes and to art lovers. Art seems to be simply eternal and possesses an eternal beauty that is completely enticing and mesmerizing. Art is one thing that is noticed by all and nobody can escape the beauty of art. In fact, any form of art manages to mesmerize all. One thing is for sure and that is art reflects the truth and it reflects our daily lives. Any piece of art is a matter of worship for any art lover and for the person who creates it. Art brings with it a world of its own for many and this can be evident from the way people indulge in buying art pieces. However, the passage of time has brought along with it tremendous amount of fraud in almost all aspects of life and it seems that this kind of fraudulence also touches art. Therefore, once you decide to buy yourself a piece of art or by any chance have been a victim of art fraudulence, then you can seek the help of an art lawyer for any sort of a legal assistance regarding art matters.
An art lawyer is a thorough professional who can easily help you to come out of a fraud art case and even win the case for you. Well the circumstances for which you can hire an art lawyer varies but the one thing that you should understand is that an art lawyer should be consulted in any sort of a fraud related to art and you can even consult him before buying a great piece of art. Art lovers love indulging in art pieces and the best thing for them is to buy an art piece from an authenticated art dealer who can provide one with genuine art pieces. However, deceptive art dealers manage to sell fraud art pieces and people generally do not realize that they have bought a fake art piece. In this case, an art lawyer is where one should go to get the legal matters sorted out.
However, an art lawyer not only helps one to fight a legal case for purchasing a fake piece of art but also helps an art dealer to sell the best pieces of art at the best rates and also helps him to get the payments from customers who delay in paying the amount. Practically speaking, hiring an art lawyer to solve cases related to art is the best thing to do. However, before you decide to hire any particular art lawyer you should make sure that you look for lawyer who has a good experience and success record and has won cases for his clients. Then you should see the fee he charges for each case and then if you feel that he suits your needs then you can always go in for the art lawyer.
An art layer is the apt person who can help a person come out of any sort of a fraud that he had to face while buying or selling an art piece. Therefore, if you ever feel that you have been cheated while buying or selling an art piece you can always take the guidance and the help of an art lawyer to solve your case.
Working with an art consultant can help you negotiate the tricky waters of the art collections world. If youre nervous or unsure of your ability to choose fine art pieces and barter for fair prices, an art consultant can help to make the entire art buying process a breeze.
What does an art consultant do? An art consultant can help you through the entire art selection process – from choosing a theme to negotiating the price,.having the artwork framed, and choosing where the art piece should be located. Shell let you be her guide and provide you with an art collection that is as expensive or inexpensive as your budget allows.
There are basically two types of art consultants. The first type of art consultant is one who focus on homeowners or individual art buyers. The second type works with corporate clients.
What can an art consultant help you with? First of all, she can help you to find paintings. A good art consultant will also be knowledgeable about current prices and can negotiate fair prices for you. She can be invaluable in documenting the value of your art pieces and giving you replacement value advice for your insurance needs. She can help determine the authenticity of the art and help you avoid getting stuck with imitations or frauds.
She can also review your existing art pieces and either look for new pieces to complement them or advise you on the best ways to liquidate them if together you decide that they no longer fit with your art acquisition strategy.
Not only will the art consultant assist you in finding the perfect artwork for your home. She will also, at your request, provide custom framing and professional installation.
An art consultant can also teach you about the subtleties of art buying and selling and eventually give you the confidence to appraise artwork on your own.
And finally, if and when you are ready to sell your art – a knowledgeable art consultant will advise you on its current worth and help you to get its fair market value in the marketplace.
So what should you look for in an art consultant?
The primary attribute you should look for is experience. But not just any experience. Experience in the type of art that you want to acquire. For example, if you have a keen interest in Inuit or Native American art, youll want to find an art consultant who is knowledgeable in that field. In this case, an expert in French Renaissance art will not serve you well.
In addition to having experience with the type of art that attracts you, she should also have experience in that period of art. Knowledge of current Native American art does not automatically translate to having knowledge of 17th century Native American art.
If you love art, and dont know much about it, using an art consultant can be a nice shortcut to acquiring lovely art pieces without having to attend art school and acquire a degree in art.