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| Introduction Why own art? Recognizing quality What should I spend? You can't lose! (This was inspired by an article: "Observations, Living with Art" by Terry Teachout, published in the Feb. 2004 Commentary magazine. Mr. Teachout is an art collector, critic, and writer. Text in parentheses and the questions that introduce each topic were added by the editor. ) Quoted text is reprinted from Commentary magazine, Feb. 2004, by permission; all rights reserved. Anthony Francis Cernosek - editor May, 2004 |
Why invest in art?Buying art can be a daunting task, full of mystery.(Sure, you might say, I know what I like when I see it, but why should I want to OWN art? How will I recognize quality, and choose the right piece to buy? How much should I spend, and will it be worth the price? Could the task of buying art be simpler than you thought?) Why own art?Why own a piece of art?Mr. Teachout says this of a piece he considered buying "....I would have wanted to own it simply because of the way it looks. In fact. that is the only good reason to buy a work of art: so that you can look at it every day, as often as you want." Does art "do something" for the viewer? Mr. Teachout says this of his art collection "I am happy with the Teachout Museum just as it is. Not only is it a joy to behold, but its beauties have had a beneficial effect of making me want to spend..... (less time in my daily rat-race, and ) ..... more time sitting in my living room, communing with the works of art I have so carefully assembled. Whether it will help me to live longer is an open question, but collecting art, even on a modest scale, has definitely made my interior life richer than ever before." Recognizing qualityWhat's the "proper way" to look at art?Should you always look for some hidden meaning? Some coded message? In the words of Mr. Teachout, viewing art can be as simple as ".... looking at the world and its contents for the pure sensuous pleasure of reveling in their outward appearance." (What a relief for those of us who were never quite sure we "understood" art! .) What is "good quality" art? "......everybody has to discover the criteria of quality for himself. (These criteria).... can't be communicated by word or demonstration. Yet they are objective...You have to find out for yourself by looking and experiencing . And the people who try hardest and look hardest end up, over the ages, by agreeing with one another in the main." (This is a quote from the art critic Clement Greenberg.) What should I spend?Should I spend more for a "limited-edition" print? (Or for an original?)"What separates a limited-edition print from a museum poster or a 'framed reproduction' is that the former, unlike the later, is largely or entirely handmade, produced in small quantities, and is (usually) signed and numbered by the artist, who creates it with a technical assistance of printers familiar with the particular medium in which he is working........... The best printmakers, from Rembrant and Durer to Avery and Frankenthaler, have always been drawn to the medium for its own sake, and their prints are worth having not merely in lieu of a more expensive painting but because they are fully realized creations in themselves." Will my art collection have lasting value? "To see a painting or print on a daily basis is to learn what makes some works durable and other ephemeral." Owning art "has taught me a priceless lesson, which is that living with a work of art is the ultimate test of its quality -and the ultimate way of appreciating its beauty." You can't lose!Should you invest in art?(The answer seems simple: If you see a work of art that - over a period of time - you continue to enjoy, that still fascinates you, inspires you, soothes your soul, or enriches your life - and you can afford it - then buy it. Since it's main value is registered in your heart and mind, it's an investment you can't lose! ) (If the monetary value of a piece of art increases over the years, that's just icing on an already sweet cake. How much money do you waste on things that give pleasure only for a moment? But a good piece of art, chosen because you enjoy it, gives pleasure for a lifetime.) |
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