Buying art—a pleasure as noble as it is hedonistic—can be a difficult endeavor to embark on if you lack the necessary background to start a small collection—which may well lead you to become an accomplished collector or patron—or simply to purchase a piece to adorn an otherwise bare wall.
That’s why there’s a set of rules that complement intuition and good taste and which, combined with the advice of seasoned art veterans, have resulted in this decalogue that we’re presenting to you today on Art Weekends.
Personal taste versus the collective significance of a piece
A purchase should start with something that moves you—something that evokes the aesthetic pleasure a piece of art can bring. The fact that the market deems a work important is, without a doubt, a factor that reduces the financial risk of the purchase, but what good is it for a man to conquer the world if he cannot enjoy it? You must consider whether you are seeking to acquire a work for personal enjoyment, as an investment, or as a bargaining chip.
British artist David Shrigley and Soho House curator Kate Bryan agree that art should “bring daily joy.” If you buy something based solely on trends, you’ll quickly grow tired of it, and suddenly it won’t look good on your wall or in your collection anymore.
Should I buy from a gallery or directly from the artist? That is the dilemma.
It seems like a simple question, but it presents a dilemma: should you buy from a gallery or directly from the artist? In fact, there are more than two options that could leave a first-time buyer or an indecisive art lover feeling overwhelmed: an art fair, an auction, a collector, or an online platform.
However, the more traditional choice would be to start with a gallery. The advantages? There’s curatorial oversight—that is, someone has already taken care of selecting, contextualizing, documenting, and supporting the piece—as well as documentation and guidance.
If you deal directly with the artist—by visiting their studio or exhibition—the relationship is more direct, but perhaps less formal and without the backing of a gallery. At an art fair, the advantage is that there’s variety, and you can compare prices and status and have a wider range of options to choose from.
In this regard, the Colombian gallery Duque Arango, based in Medellín, recommends purchasing from reputable sources: established galleries, art fairs, and recognized auction houses, where there is greater transparency and assurance regarding the authenticity of the works.
The hardest part is getting started. After that, you can choose the methods that best fit your lifestyle, budget, and preferences.
Analysis vs. Impulse
Yes, art involves emotions and a sense of appreciation or fascination with a work that can arise from unexpected places. But be careful: impulse purchases can backfire when buying a piece. Shopping thoughtfully is also an art, and it’s well worth sticking to a budget and making the purchase a smart, well-planned decision rather than an impulsive one.
In fact, another piece of advice from the Duque Arango Gallery is to set a realistic budget: start with works that fit within your financial means and avoid compromising your liquidity with a single purchase.
Dominican gallery owner and collector Gary Nader adds another ingredient to the recipe: patience. And to those who want to start buying art, he advises: “Buy exclusively what you like and don’t speculate”; in other words, buy only what you like and don’t speculate.
The Valuable Risk of Innovation
Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in London and one of the world’s most influential curators, advises following artists who experiment and propose new ideas, not those who stick to the same old approach.
And his advice isn’t free—though it does require a certain spirit of adventure and a keen eye for spotting what’s new, disruptive, and transcends mere whim or eccentricity. But the good news is that you develop that instinct as you see more art, visit more galleries, and cultivate the sensitivity to look at a work and see beyond its surface appearance.
Do Your Research Before You Buy
Experts recommend creating personal databases or checking price comparison websites to avoid overpaying for a piece of art. Global platforms like Singulart offer free advice to help buyers find artworks that fit their budget.
Keep in mind: no platform can replace the experience of seeing a work of art in person, and that must be the starting point.
Asking questions is also part of shopping
Venezuelan-British curator Cecilia Fajardo-Hill recommends starting by looking at and studying art, and, when visiting a gallery, asking as many questions as possible. You won’t be charged for asking about a work of art or the artist. The curator’s idea is to view collecting as a puzzle that comes together through publications, museums, art fairs, auctions, galleries, alternative spaces, and artists’ studios. “It’s really positive that people are coming by and figuring out where each gallery is,” gallery owner Andrea Walther of Galería ETHRA told Art Weekends, and there’s another key: daring to look and then taking the next step.
Latin American Art vs. Global Art
“With a million dollars, you can actually buy masterpieces,” whereas in European or American modern or contemporary art, the same amount of money “doesn’t get you very far,” said Virgilio Garza, head of Latin American Art at Christie’s in New York, in a speech reported by various media outlets.
Coming from someone who knows this world inside and out, his words carry weight: Latin American art offers possibilities worth considering when making a purchase.
“Despite global challenges, there remains a genuine interest in Latin American art. Today, art collecting is no longer concentrated in just a few centers but is expanding to new cities, generations, and formats,” says Zélika García, founder of ZⓈONAMACO, in an interview with Forbes.
Art also ages
Once a work of art crosses the threshold of your home, another responsibility begins: keeping it safe. Light, humidity, temperature, display, and storage can all affect the piece, and depending on the medium, what seems like a good place to display it may not be as good a choice as you imagined. Roberto Zajarías, director of Aura Galerías in Mexico, points out that “works of art are physical objects susceptible to deterioration” and notes that preventive conservation—through the control of humidity, temperature, and lighting—extends the life of the artwork. In other words: that “impossible wall” we mentioned at the beginning also has to be a suitable space. After all, post-purchase care is also part of a smart approach.
Buying and collecting are not the same as hoarding
Buying a work of art you like is a good start, but making it interact with a collection is another matter entirely. Mexican collector Ilan Katz has a particularly useful insight on this: “The easiest way to build a significant collection is to narrow its scope.”
In other words, setting certain limits—a generation, a region, a technique, a period, a school, or even a theme—gives the collection its identity. A collection doesn’t have to look like a museum or follow a specific formula, but it can tell a story as pieces are added. Quality and consistency are better than quantity. That would be my advice.
But some may disagree: as a collection develops its own identity, personal taste may even take a back seat. Cuban-Venezuelan collector Ella Fontanals-Cisneros explains it this way: “Sometimes I buy works that I don’t particularly like, but they are key pieces for my collection.” In other words, there comes a point when you don’t just buy a work for the emotional response it evokes on its own, but also for the role it can play within a collection.
The eye can also be trained
And perhaps the final piece of advice is to understand that a collection isn’t built overnight. Fernando Botero, who was not only an artist but also a passionate collector, explained it in quite down-to-earth terms: “A collection is built based on a person’s financial means and the opportunities available in the market.”
Not everything is within our reach, nor will everything we desire appear when we want it to. That’s why buying art also means learning to wait, observe, and recognize an opportunity.
And from a different, more disruptive and contemporary perspective, Spanish artist Eugenio Merino offers a counterpoint to those who view art exclusively as an investment. Speaking of those who buy his works with an eye toward their potential profitability, he states categorically: “To anyone who tries to invest in me, I’ll tell you right now that you’re making a mistake.”
Because buying art requires a budget, opportunity, and knowledge—but it also means learning to look beyond the price tag attached to a work.
Discover more articles about art fairs, galleries, and guides to buying and appreciating art in AW Magazine.
