Notes on Collecting: Why Buy Art?
Posted on 08.12.08 10:45PM under Uncategorized
me at the computer with three favoites
People buy art for many different reasons. Personally, I buy works of art that I feel a strong connection with, work that teaches me about who I am and the context for the life I live. However, I have to admit that I didn’t start buying art with the purest motives.
I would like to say that I have always collected to surround myself with the power and beauty of deeply meaningful imagery, a collection of very personal icons. It would be nice if I could honestly say that I was pushed forward by a desire to develop a high sense of connoisseurship and a love for fine things. I wish I could proclaim that intellectual curiosity was the driving force behind a life of collecting. I would be proud if I could proclaim that the idea of investing in art for monetary gain seldom crossed my mind. All of these virtuous perspectives evolved within me over the decades I have bought and lived with many amazing works of art, but it didn’t start out that way.
In the beginning I liked art, sure; but I was poor and never thought I could ever buy or own great artwork. When I arrived at the place where I was ready and willing to buy my first original piece, I was deeply preoccupied with wondering how much art could appreciate in its dollar value. The friend sold me my first original painting told me emphatically that buying art wasn’t about investing; she said “it’s about learning who you are.”
I pondered that thought for a bit, and considered the $450 that painting was costing me. In 1982 that was a lot of money for me and my wife Linda, probably around $1500 in today’s dollars. Then again, I couldn’t escape the way that painting made me feel. It was a revelation in my understanding of how a unique and finely crafted object thrilled me in ways I had never imagined. I’m not saying I forgot about the dollar value of the painting any time soon after its purchase. In fact I still track the retail value of that artist’s work. I guess the values is roughly ten times what I paid for it, but that fact is rendered meaningless since I have never even considered selling the piece.
About the art in the picture heading this post: from left to right you see digitally manipulated photo from Diane Kornberg’s first body of digital work; in the middle is a very early piece by Kirk Lybecker which happens to be the first original work of art I ever purchased; the painting on the right is a gouache piece by Claudia Cave.
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Posted by Allen Taylor on 08.12.08 11:00 pm
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor
Posted by admin on 09.10.08 5:48 pm
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Posted by cigdem on 06.30.09 12:37 pm
Duane, you helped me take me my love of art to the next level. Thanks to your guidance and insights, I added several pieces to what has now become a true collection. It is so nice to see you inspire others to embrace the love of art and art collecting.