A course that tells how to collect works of contemporary art

A very few human impulses are probably as personal in nature and as mysterious in their in-built process as the inclination to collect something. However, the valuable advice on the subject comes from famous collector and financier, John Pierpont Morgan, who states: “Whatever you opt to collect, simply go for the hundred best examples, and then you stop.”

And as straightforward and simpler the strategy may seem, more difficult it is to put into practice. This though, is indeed a sensible approach since, as any collector will state, stopping is the trickiest step to take of the whole process of collecting. And then what about those, who posses limited resources and wish to understand not how and when to stop, but where to begin!

A prominent art gallery in London has come up with a novel initiative. Regarding a new 5-part course, the website mentions: “It gives the inside track on collecting, giving an overview of art from the 1960s to the present day. The small group will meet internationally renowned artists, learn from some of the most respected collectors in the world and then put theory into practice.”

Summing up the sentiment at the recently concluded inaugural rst session, a news report in The Wall Street Journal pointed out: “The prevailing financial climate sure has winnowed out the ranks of bankers probably hoping that their hefty bonuses might kick-start an art collection to rival that of Saatchi. This is just as well, for if there’s one consistent piece of advice almost everyone addressing the course offers the aspiring students, it is to purchase what you fall in love with, and not to focus too much on the potential or lure of financial return.”

We in India too, probably need few such informal exchanges and deliberations that will nudge both aspiring and even serious collectors towards appreciating and buying quality art.