10 Questions to ask before buying art

For those who are in a position to afford to possess quality works, arguably the most satisfying way of engaging with them is to cherish them as a timeless treasure. It’s a privilege of enjoying their presence and form a long-term relationship with them as part of your life over time. Buying art is a highly rewarding, refreshing and pleasurable activity.

Before you can decide what kind of art and artists you like, you must set aside preconceived notions and prejudices and approach the art market with an open mind. This will allow you to explore the vast variety of art forms, respond to them, and understand your preferences. The key is to develop perception and vision? Some of the questions you can ask yourself as you set on the artistic voyage as a collector are as follows:

1. What is your budget? What is the maximum value of one single work you can buy initially?
2. What is size of work and what is its media/style/form you are looking to buy?
3. Is the artist emerging artist or a more established one? What is the artist’s academic background?
4. Who has been the artist’s mentor or idols?
5. Which are the exhibitions the artist’s work has been featured in recently? Are these solo or group exhibitions?
6. Is the artist represented by reputed galleries? Has his or her work forms part of a museum or biennale collection?
7. Who has curated the artist’s shows? Are there any critical writing or reviews about the work? What do they say?
8. How well are the ideas or thoughts behind the works communicated? Are you able to identify with the artist’s work and practice?
9. Are the ideas visually appealing and interesting? Do they feel relevant to contemporary times? How economic and effective is this expression?
10. If there are formal concerns –materials, colors, surfaces, shapes, composition etc. - how do they relate to the core idea of the work and how successful has the artist been in their usage or technique?