Before you ever collect your first piece of artwork, consider the following factors. You really need to define your collecting philosophy. Do you intend to collect art for real? Do you want to collect art for decor purposes? Do you want to collect paintings that have a certain "style" or represent a "school"? Do you collect paintings that deal with a certain genre? All of those reasons for collecting are valid in their own way. Lets go over the four main choices.

Number one: Do you want to be one of those people who collect Art for "Real". This is the most elusive collector and these people often end up with the best and most valuable collections of all. They are very confident in their feelings and just buy what profoundly moves them. Usually the paintings they buy have something beyond mere emotion. The content touches the collector in a deeper perhaps more subtle way. I can tell you that if I could afford to collect art I would be this sort of collector. A somewhat extreme example of how a painting might might "talk" to a potential buyer occured to me on two different visits to 2 different museums. Neither of my reactions was even remotely expected! The first experience that I had was during a visit to the Reichsmuseum in Holland. My wife and I were on vacation and looking at Vermeers' work. There was a painting there.. that almost emanated light. It was the blue that the artist used. I know that renaissance artists often used crushed gem stones as the pigment in their oil binder, so maybe it was that which I saw. But the experience was truly profound. The feeling was so utterly peaceful. I've never forgotten it. I wanted that painting BADLY. I wanted to look at it everyday and no amount of reproductions have ever even come remotely close to the real thing.

I had a totally different experience with a work by Francis Bacon (a great english painter). The two artists couldn't have been farther apart and yet my reaction to the horrific aural sensation of howling came from one of his paintings (It was a Dog howling at the moon) hanging in the MOMA and my reaction was equally intense to it as was my reaction to Vermeer. I could "hear" the anguish! Perhaps you think thats not you. Well perhaps it isn't. You probably need to be a bit creative yourself to feel as intensely as I have felt. You might also think, "well those paintings are in museums, I can't buy them and what about art on ebay or art at the local gallery". I can tell you that in my career as a dealer I was in the studio of Ernst Neizvestny. While there I saw this enormous canvas he had painted. It showed a decapitated head and the visual effect while unpleasant was overtaken by the sensation of sound which came from the canvas.. the sound was like a shriek. I could never ever have such a work in my home, but the work was very powerful and probably will someday be in a museum.

Well I've given you my reactions to some masterpieces. But.. of course I didn't buy them and someone got there first much earlier. I have found many other items, paintings, antiques and collectibles that I did buy when I felt a deep emotional reaction to the work (and when I was in the business of Gallery management). I never regretted owning them and most of them I sold for far more than I paid for them. One item I regret not buying for myself was an enormous flemish marriage armoire or chest. It must have been almost 10 feet high and almost as wide. It was incredibly and delicately hand painted with floral scenes and carved and variously decorated and embellished. I regret to this day not buying it. It was only $4000 at the time and worth a 100 times that to me. We had the room for it at the time. I passed it up and when I went back to that shop later it was gone of course.

Later on when the mid range art market blew out in San Francisco, just after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, I was able to sell many of the items that I had collected privately at a premium price. Of course I also bought and sold magnificent pieces for the art galleries that I worked at. I also bought many things for my own gallery. We used to buy the work directly rather than consign to avoid the constant need of the artist for money. (Ha ha thats for sure... daub daub..daub daub...).. Well ebay is the perfect place to buy fine art at reasonable prices. I would especially recommend looking in the self representing artists category.

 In order to have the intense emotional reaction that I have spoken of, you need only look at the artwork, look and look and look and WHEN you find something that speaks to you BUY RIGHT AWAY. Don't worry about your furniture or your decor. Make one room your "gallery" if you can and don't worry about the color clashing etc. Believe me the purpose of art is NOT to provide decoration. It's to provide a deep emotional reaction. Don't worry about the content either. The main thing is that reaction. Ok now on to the second criterion for collecting art.

Number Two: Do you want to collect art for decor purposes? Ok now this is not my favorite category of collecting, though everyone has to start somewhere. Collecting for decor is emotionally cool. And I don't mean "cool" in a good way necessarily. On the other hand many is the collector who collected some sofa art and later on found that they really enjoyed the communication that art provides and started to really look at it and than also realised that perhaps the pieces that they had the most intense reaction to were NOT  a good match for the drapes of the sofa. However  because they caught the emotional lift that can come from looking at a fine painting or antique, they went ahead and bought the piece any way and than found a few pieces that MATCHED THE PAINTING rather than the other way around. So if you really need to match decor go ahead, there are many artists whose work is appealing and perhaps after you buy a few painting from an artist that "speaks" to your soul, you will forget about decor and react with emotional confidence. When I was in the business this was the way we presented the concept of collecting to the new buyer. Some people went on to build wonderful collections. I remember a Physician who eventually bought several wonderful Miro Original Etchings.. I think about those Miros occasionally.. I wonder if they'll remain in his family. I imagine that someday one of his heirs will receive a nice surprise.

Number Three: Do you want to collect paintings that have a certain "style" or represent a "school"? Sometimes a collector wants to only collect a certain style or school of art. I personally find this limiting. By the time a "school" becomes known, it's usually too late to buy the best. And while I know good collections can be assembled this way, but you can also end up buying second rank works and ultimately be unhappy with your collection when you start to really look at what you've bought. It's better to buy first rank works that might not fit your "philosophy" or your collection, but works that you do feel intensely rather than settle for something else. Just my opinion but I think I'm right on this.

Number Four: Do you want tocollect paintings that deal with a certain genre? This is one of the best areas for new collectors to focus. Generally you focus your attention on subject matter that appeals to you in some way. If you let your heart lead, you will at least have things that you cherish. It might not be the "BIG" reaction but it's still divorced from just a piece to match the curtains or the sofa. It's also not emotional cool collecting; this kind of collecting is about love.. love of a certain subject matter. I know that there are some who collect paintings of boats or seascapes or dogs or flowers etc. The supply of art in this arena is quite extensive and there are usually many artists to choose from. Of course there usually is a short list of everybodies favorites. Those who collect in this arena are motivated by love of the subject matter as I said. They also usually don't have scads of money. They do however have the impulse to buy and buy. What happens as a result is that the people having these collections may accumulate some landmark works within the area they are collecting. This collection then potentially becomes a valuable resource when "passed on" or sold.

One of the things I have noticed is that Artwork brings the highest prices of all unique creations. Antique china, furniture and other items all have their place of course. This is especially true for those of you who wish to have exceptional things that express emotion beyond the price tag or the mere materials. However paintings due to their unique nature truly are the best respositorys of portable wealth.

Anyway, collect away! Follow your feelings and enjoy the "ride".

L. K.