Art Purchases

Couples making decisions about art purchases: Art is real. It lives in its space. It speaks. It makes important statements constantly. If someone lives or works in a space and does not feel comfortable with the art, it stresses them. Why? Because art is so real it cannot be ignored. In fact, it will not be ignored.

With all the choices surrounding commissioning art or purchasing art, how does a couple make decisions? Do all the females want art to first please before factoring in functionality? Do all males want art to be functional and practical? I have found that females lean and males lean that way. And, individual personalities and desires come strongly into play.

Some couples want their art first to please them. Other couples want their art to create a meaningful return on investment. Some couples have completely different motivations when commissioning and purchasing art. What is most important is that art is able to accommodate a wide variety of motivating factors. What is also important is that if the art purchased comes out of one partner and not the other, the other partner will tend to be unhappy after the purchase. That is to be avoided at all costs.

Some couples struggle with the choice to purchase photographs or paintings. Both choices are fine and the difference between the two choices is meaningful. “Art is notoriously personal,” says Victor Liquori. A painting allows far more of the painter’s personality to come forth than a picture allows for the photographer’s. A single image can spring forth from the artist an abstract, an impressionist, an expressionist, a cubist, a realist, an Oriental or a photo-image finished painting. Along with the choice of style comes the choice of medium from pencil to ink to charcoal, from oil-based to water-based, including mixing the media, creating collage, using paper, fabric or even jewels, which I have done with “Jeweled Choices.”

Both choices come with a variety of framing choices. First, framing choices include shape and size. Then, comes the whole realm of presentation choices. Wood can be finished or unfinished, plain to elaborate, gilded, painted, polished or a continuation of the painting. Metal frames can be simple or elaborately created to resemble wood. Antique plaster frames have their own charm. For photographs and water-based paintings, there is the consideration that the images must be framed under glass and that the images must be protected from contact with the glass by mats or some other separation. Why? Because of temperature changes that create moisture under the glass. No separation, the moisture damages the image everywhere the moisture sets on it.

In order to come to decisions about how you want to choose and display your art, it is important to be aware of the variety of choices you have all along the process. Visit as many art galleries as you can. Subscribe to “Decor” magazine to keep up with the latest innovations in presenting art.