Which contemporary artist is better to buy and most likely to increase in value?
You’re considering buying a painting by a contemporary artist and you want a job much less expensive than a Picasso or Andy Warholl, but let’s face it, you want it to be a good investment too. You really hope that your chosen artist will be discovered in a big way and suddenly worth many more times what you paid for and preferably sooner rather than later! So what should you be looking for?
In times when currencies are at risk and the stock market is not performing well, the chances of success (choosing the right artist) they are much better than the Lottery.
By being careful what you buy and choosing the right artist, although there is always an element of risk, the chances of losing any value are minimal.
While I don’t claim to be any kind of expert, for many years I have been an enthusiastic and successful collector of various forms of art and antiques that have mostly increased in value tremendously. I hope that sharing my instincts with you will be of some help to you. Obviously, in case the image you end up choosing doesn’t greatly increase in value, the most important thing is that you really like your choice, so that you at least enjoy living with it.
The image you choose says something about you, so what kind of image should you look for? Here are a couple of my suggestions on how to start the selection process: –
- First of all, find something artistic that you find attractive and beautiful, preferably a picture that you are sure your friends will admire and comment on.
- It is best to choose an inspiring image, that makes a statement or that has something fascinating.
- Then do some research on the artist.
Be very wary of all the hype, art critics, and so-called experts who claim to know everything. These days you can search the internet and no longer be restricted to local galleries, you can search and find art from around the world without leaving your home. This means you can see the images you like and avoid all the sales talk. But how should you look at your choice of artist, if you want the best chance of your artist suddenly becoming famous and priceless? To have that possibility of succeeding your artist: –
- Must have developed a different recognizable style or display exceptional original creativity.
- You should have already created a reasonable number of works that demonstrate consistent style and originality.
- You should have already received some recognition, for having made several important solo exhibitions and having received some valuable press or reports.
In the past, the artists who eventually became the most sought after were those who created their own style, where they were the first to do something original or different, and used it consistently to get the most out of it. Some would sadly also add choosing someone older, rather than young, as often works of art tend to be much more appreciated shortly after the artist’s death.
Of painters, at the moment I am favoring Sir Bernard Fleetwood Walker RA because he has a style of his own that has not yet been fully appreciated. My personal opinion is that Sir William Russell Flint RA painted wonderful watercolors and although they are already highly valued, I still think they will continue to increase in value.
I am not aware of any really big change in painting that is sure to be successful. There are those who use spray paints and I have seen some unusual textures where cement and sand have been mixed with the paints. There are images created in three dimensions by layers of cut-out prints, glued one on top of the other, there are small frames in boxes filled with objects carefully chosen as images, there are paintings adorned with Swarovski crystals, or small mirrors and other materials, there have also been mixed media photographs that use all kinds of materials to form an image. But although they are different, I don’t see many of these being considered great works of art, it’s really a matter of looking for only the most exceptional examples, if any of these techniques appeal to you.
PHOTOGRAPHY
But the most dramatic and exciting changes have come with photography! Photography is now a valuable art form, as are limited edition prints. (as long as the edition number is not too large, it should be much less than 50). So what’s up?
Thanks to digital images, computer-generated images now exist, such as ‘fractals’. But since they were made by the computer, rather than the artist, I doubt they will ever be highly valued. With computer manipulation, now you can create mixed images that were never possible before, these artists must be studied.
I have seen some graffiti light painted pictures that are quite different. The new HDR computer (high dynamic range) Images that provide a much greater range of definition at different levels of light intensity are also impressive and can be very atmospheric. (much more than ever).
But what matters most is the end result; what counts is the image, the artistic vision is much more important than the technique.
That said, certain photographic images could only be achieved thanks to technique. As an example, there is a unique technique, which consists of photographing projected images, which have been projected onto other objects. This has been used successfully to create some very interesting and quite different images.
I think if you follow my guidelines, you will find images that are worth buying and could really be a great investment.
Good luck with your hunt, hoping you enjoy the search and find a winner.
