Deciding on the right art for your home can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 6 tips to get you started.
1. Buy art because you like it, not because it goes with your curtains. Art is an investment, so make sure you will enjoy looking at it for a long time to come. I would never get tired of looking at the excellent painting below by Joan Mitchell.
2. You can never have enough art. If the walls fill up, put some pieces in storage. Rotate the work you show on your walls, changing it out as little as twice a year or with the changing seasons.
3. Don’t worry about making all of your artwork “match” in style, size, or media. Often, the best displays of artwork are made from interesting and varied collections.
4. Develop your eye! Visit museums, spend time in galleries, and read about art. Seeing the best art possible will help you develop an eye for what you like. Eventually, you can build a personal style that will shape your collection. An excellent source for learning about current art is the Oxford History of Art Series.
5. Decide how much you like a piece before you see the price tag. Good art is not always expensive. Expensive art is not always good. Often, work by a street artist or child can hold its own next to a painting by a modern master. The picture below was made by Chicago street artist Lee Godie.
6. And finally – keep an open mind! You might be surprised by what you like if you look closely.
Good luck!
-Robert