6 Tips For Becoming An Art Collector
When Georgia Spray's friends began asking her where they could buy affordable art, the 28-year-old Christie's and White Cube alumnus saw a gap in the market. She launched Partnership Editions in 2017, a curated platform that connects accessibly-priced, original artworks by emerging artists with would-be collectors - which makes her ideally placed to advise on how best to assemble a fledgling art collection. Here, she shares her tips with Vogue on how to become the next Peggy Guggenheim.
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Try not to feel pressured to predict who might turn out to be the next Tracey Emin or Damien Hirst. Buy an artwork because you are interested in it visually and because you engage with its message or are drawn to the way it has been constructed. Don't buy anything you don't love.
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Buying art that's been made by an artist who is still at art school or is a recent graduate is a great way to start your art collection. Not only does it mean that the work will be more affordable than that by artists who have gallery representation, it’s also highly rewarding knowing that you’re enabling a young artist to develop their career.
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The art world has changed dramatically in the last five years or so. Artists now have their own websites and Instagram accounts, meaning they can easily reach audiences without the aid of a gallery. Instagram is an amazing way to learn about an artist’s process, to see when they are hosting events and exhibitions and to find out about new artworks. Why not drop into a show and strike up a face-to-face relationship?
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Bespoke framing is expensive, but it’s worth it. Well thought-out frames will show your artwork off in the best way and preserve it, too. If your artwork is a photograph, use non-UV for preservation, and if it’s quite dark then try and go for non-reflective glass to avoid glare obscuring the image. I use Frame Factory in Highbury and Brider & Bull in Stoke Newington for beautiful wooden frames.
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Don’t feel like you have to buy art that fits with your "colour scheme" or matches your cushions. Some of my favourite pieces of art at home are not “pretty” and are controversial, but they continue to stimulate me and challenge me and don’t ever get boring.
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It's important to rehang your art every few months to refresh the room and make you look at pieces in a new way. I love thinking about how art can have a conversation in some way with other elements of my home: my advice is to mix textures and materials, and don’t get obsessed with measuring up. An element of surprise such as an uneven hang can make the artwork much more eye-catching.
