The festive mood is disappearing and with it our most urgent and superficial need for gifts, decor, flashy clothes, decadent food... Now might be a good time to reflect on higher needs, like that for art. I would like to start sharing my thoughts on this topic with you and giving a few suggestions on what art to look for, what to invest in, what artists and institutions to explore, etc.
Why do I think I am entitled to do that? 😅 I studied art history at a University (Hamburg) not known for much else but for two brilliant art historians (E. Panofsky & A. Warburg) who founded the theory of iconology (a method to interpret art). I'm a passionate art admirer and will travel to places for their museums only, critiquing, analyzing, judging and praising - be it in galleries, at fairs or on the internet. My recent hobby (painting...) also allows me to mingle with the Dallas art scene and to see art from a slightly different perspective. (This is the only time I will mention my own paintings - it is a hobby after all).
So here are some points of reference, accompanied by what I think are magnificent examples of contemporary art and also happen to be made by people I personally know and cherish. To be continued.
1. Art is subjective, but there is bad art.
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| Nikolai Estis, from the cycle "Compositions" |
Art is storytelling and good art tells a story many people can relate to. It stirs up feelings and memories, it provokes an emotional reaction. We might not even find it all that beautiful, but it captivates us (in the end we do tend to prefer what we find beautiful). How do we know what is good and bad since we all have different understandings of beauty, aesthetics, storytelling? There is something like a popular generational taste - but it can be deceiving (look at the Kardashians). There are art historians and critics, highly knowledgeable and trained people, yes, but they err too. Sometimes, only time can tell - like in the case of the Impressionists, who were scrutinized and hated in their time period, but now form the most beloved of all art movements. Sometimes even time can't tell, and there are geniuses overlooked, neglected, for centuries, like Artemisia Gentileschi (and who knows how many more out there, right now).
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| Olga Romanova, "Good Feelings" |
So it has to be a mixture of everything just mentioned - the art has to fit our time (most Neo-Impressionist paintings just look goofy and cliche now), it has to be meaningful, skillful and smart and since we can't predict the future, we just have to trust our guts. And what if we make a mistake? We end up not liking a piece after a while, our partner tells us it's too pricey, an expert tells us the painting technique is rubbish or we meet the artist and think he is an idiot? It happens. So many other professions get away with much more! There is a tiny percentage of artists who overcharge crazily, but the majority earns much less than they deserve. Keep looking.
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| Chancellor Page, "Something to Believe in" |
2. Investment vs. instant pleasure
How to pick good art for you home? You have to like it, obviously. An investment is great, but it will be worthless to you if some art advisor on Instagram said you have to have it and you secretly loathe it. Look for a connection with a piece first, it has to speak to you. And ideally, the people you live with. Or you'll have to put it in your office.
When the artist comes up to me to explain what his art means, I don't want it. It has to be there without much fuss. Painting should also never match some interior and be bought like a piece of furniture. When artists offer to match your drapes, run. Good contemporary art can be found on reputable sites like artsy.net, artnet.com or saatchiart.com. There are nice art fairs in major towns and globally renowned versions like Art Basel, Affordable Art Fair, there are magazines like 'New American Paintings', there are art critics to follow on Social Media, there are the good old offline galleries...
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| Debra Ferrari, "Girl Talk" |
How to know if the artist you're interested in is any good? It is both smart to invest in young rising stars and in overlooked experienced geniuses. Resell value rises the more known, awarded, exhibited, sold and written about your artist of choice is. But does it matter to you if they went to a good school, exhibited much, won prizes, shown at fairs? What has to be there from the beginning is wit and a striking execution - if it's masterfully done and it tells a good story, take it. Great artists know art history better than art historians and position themselves into the art world by trial and error, ability and intuition. Don't trust artists that don't "care" for art history and claim to make something no one has ever seen before. It's foolish.
3. Some amazing contemporary artists I know, their work and where to find them.
Nikolai Estis - known around the world with his works exhibited over a 100 times and his art acquired by about 30 museums,mong them the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, this Russian born artist that now lives in Germany deals with equally grand topics - the meaning of life, metaphysics, faith, wisdom and humane suffering. http://nikolai.estis.de/en/
Debra Ferrari - Dallas artist and gallery owner. I met her at a reception at the gallery that she owns with her husband and was stunned about the fact that she produces both abstract and figurative paintings, and both with great skill. I didn't even believe it was all her work at first. The Ferrari Gallery is a beautiful space in Dallas and it represents four other artists besides the couple: https://ferrarigallery.net
Chancellor Page - artist and writer living in North Carolina and also my former art teacher. In his vibrant, touching and expressive works, he explores hope and hopelessness, pain and healing. His drawings are captivating and brilliant. www.chancellorpage.com
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| Chancellor Pages, "So You Can Follow" |
Olga Romanova - the youngest from this list, originally from Riga, Latvia, now living in DFW - an artist and graphic designer. In her art, she explores femininity, her past and the human relationship with nature. I can't wait to see more from this talented girl! olgaxromanova.com
Are you thinking of or already collecting art?
Talk to you soon,
J.
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