Is Contemporary Art a Good Investment?

I often ask myself – is contemporary art a good investment?

In 2006, Christie's sold $4.33 billion worth of art at auction (a 36% increase over the previous year) while Sotheby's 2006 sales total stood at $3.66 billion. While Christie's attributes it's success to forgeing long term relationships with sellers, both Christie's and Sotheby's are benefiting from the growth in wealth creation globally." This is an article taken from the website Fine Art management

Owning an original artwork can give one status. No-one can deny the thrill of investing in your first original artwork and receiving admiring praise from friends and family alike as you sit around your dining room table and gaze at the wonderful portrait glimmering in the romantic candlelight.

Apart from the aesthetic beauty it adds, who knows what that painting you bought from a little -known artist in the 80's is worth today? Equally, there is also increasing interest in art as an investment class including how it behaves compared with financial assets, and what qualities in a work of art are likely to make an emerging artist stand the test of time. Of course, taste in art is personal – one man's meat is another's poison, and how is one to know that the work you have purchased will stand that test.

As a test I have conducted a little research of my own on an artist who was extremely popular in the 70's – Sara Moon. Every second person ( certainly the students I knew) had a Sara Moon poster hanging in their digs. I was not a fan – I thought it was "kitsch" art with little value or appeal but I cannot deny that she was hugely popular. Though I was young then my instincts told me this was not "Art".Some thirty years later, it seems my instincts were correct.
My search today revealed surprising results. First off, Sarah Moon turned out not be a female artist, but a publishing house under the name of Red Baron and then later, Verkerk/Scandecor, a poster and print house. When this house went up in flames most of the posters were destroyed. It seems that no -one has ever come up with an original work because of this and the general opinion is that any prints are only as valuable if they are framed and with the original reference number and date on the back. The opinion seems to be that you may get the value of the frame and not much more!

That said, if you are thinking of investing, you would be wise to invest in an oil painting, acrylic or maybe even a water-color or pastel. There is no doubt as to its originality in this case and it is bound to increase in value over time if it is well- looked after and behind glass if it a water-color.

As always, the question to ask yourself is not "Is this painting a good investment" but "Do I like this painting" or "Do I want to look at this painting more than watch TV " -or- "Do I get a good feeling when I look at this painting?" Like a piece of music, a painting can touch your soul, make your heart sing, your eyes water, take you back to a place you once loved, or forward to one where you would like to be. For these reasons, or any other good ones you can think of – " that portrait reminds me of my beloved friend" – whatever. These are the real reasons for buying art, not some silly popular reasons. Just because everybody else likes that artist and has him/her on their walls is no reason to rush out and buy a poster yourself.

Art is meant to be looked at, not locked away in some bank vault. Buy what you like – there is no better reason than that.

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10 Things to Consider When Buying Canvas Artwork

Canvas artwork is a beautiful thing and is more accessible today than ever. It offers individuals a choice of what to have adorning their walls and can brighten up any room that you choose to hang it in. Readily available on the Internet, more people are aware of canvas artwork than ever and are prepared to invest in it as a viable alternative to purchasing stocks and shares and other such accepted investments today.

However, too many of those people do not think through their investment at all. They rush into buying something that they think may be profitable and often end up with something that will be worthless in the years to come. In terms of appreciating canvas art, this is possibly the worst thing that you could do so it is about time that everyone looking to purchase art found out exactly what they should consider prior to investing. That begins right here with the top 10 things to consider when buying canvas artwork:

Paint or Print? – Canvas paintings are worth more than canvas prints as a general rule, although there are of course exceptions to it, but the two are of course very different. Despite this fact, many people do not know the difference and just buy one or the other without realizing. If you are making an investment and can afford a larger outlay then canvas paintings are the way to go but there are canvas prints that appreciate well and are also worth investing in. Take your time to weigh up what works for you.

Canvas – No matter whether you buy a canvas painting or a canvas print, there is one common element between the artwork – the canvas. As such, you should know that you have to check the quality of the canvas regardless. The canvas should be made of cotton, GSM or another natural source if you are to maintain its condition over an extended period of time. Avoid polyester and other synthetic canvases like the plague.

Quality – The quality of the image itself should also be checked thoroughly. Is the paint beginning to chip off at all? Are there flaws in the print that should not be there? Is the overall condition of a high quality? Whether you are investing or simply want a piece to hang up, never skimp on the quality.

Exclusivity – This applies primarily to canvas prints because canvas paintings tend to be unique by their very nature. Canvas prints should either be unique or on a limited run if their value is to go up in the years to come so make sure that they are not mass produced before you invest.

Style – Does the style of a canvas art piece suit you? Is it modern or traditional? Which of those options do your prefer? These are valid questions because there is no point investing in art if you do not like its style, regardless of how large a return you are likely to get on your investment.

Affordability – This point is important when you buy any canvas art because you should be able to afford it outright. Always establish a budget and stick to it to make sure that you are not paying over and above what you can afford.

Placement – Think about where you plan to put canvas paintings and canvas prints prior to you buying them in the first place. Will they complement the decor that you have in the room that you plan to hang them? If not then do you plan to use it as a central feature for new decor?

Fashion– Although you should only invest in canvas art you like, you should think long and hard about whether it will go out of fashion because if it does then its value may deteriorate. If you do not mind then this is all well and good but consider the point anyway.

Long Term Value – Every investment is about long term value so do a little research as to how much similar paintings or prints appreciate doe an idea of the investment you are making.

So there you have it – the top 10 things to consider when buying canvas artwork. Of course, the list is only limited to the top 10 and there are other elements to consider but these provide you with an excellent starting point. From now on, you will be able to find the art that suits you, your budget and your future plans with little hassle! 

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Bespoke Artwork – up and coming new artist

Have you ever looked at the bare walls in your home and wondered what to do with them, but felt you lacked the expertise to really wow?

If art is your interest, and you are looking for something different, then CC Bespoke is the site for you to fill your heart and home full of beautiful and ornate design.

Charlotte Callin, owner of the site and the work displayed, is the next big thing in the art and design world. She combines intricate papercuts with stunningly accurate artwork, creating unique, never replicated pieces. Her magnificent ideas have come to fruition in a series of papercuts, fine art pieces and delicate canvasses, all designed with the ideas of her customers in mind. She has the uncanny ability to be able to really capture what you pictured, and has had amazing success based on the word of mouth of her happy buyers. A graduate of Southampton University, Charlotte's work is a blend of accurate papercuts and whimsical designs.

Her work has been featured by Topshop, and her talent knows no bounds. She accepts commissions, however big or small, and will give you something ornate and unique to you.

If you want to be the talk of the town, put a bespoke CC Design piece of art in your house, and be the envy of your guests! Make sure you snap them up before she becomes a household name! For further information, contact charlotte at charlotte.callin@ccbespoke.com, and turn your design dreams into a stunning reality.

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Contemporary Art is All Around Us

Quite simply the word Contemporary means of the present period. So a person can probably guess that Contemporary Art simply means art of the present period. The shape, form and indeed the mediums used have changed over the centuries and have allowed artists to express themselves at the time or period in which they either lived or live in.

Contemporary Art refers to art that has been made in our times. It represents such a diverse array of art that one would have a task to describe all forms in one place or web site. Contemporary art has evolved in the past, will evolve in the present time and continue into future art, it is and will be an ever moving form of art.

It was known that during the World Wars contemporary art tended to be more darker and there was an increase in demand for grey and black pastels, pencils and paints. This was obviously people's preception of the world at the time, a more darker place, many more evils than they once believed. Contemporary art allow viewers to see the world through the artist's eyes and gain a new perception of the world they thought they knew so well.
 

As stated before contemporary art does not have to take the form of canvas art or framed art, instead it can take the form of furniture, objects put together and many others. In fact many furniture and clothing designers will take their inspiration from talented artists of the times and sometimes there is a fine line between the two.
 

There is some very useful information at http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign this will get anybody clued up on the world of Contemporary Art, the site is regularly updated and covers contemporary art around the world.
 
So i hope this brief article has shown you that contemporary art is nothing to be afraid of and who knows if you take to drawing or another form of art you could be The Contemporary Artist of our times!<p>

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