BEGIN A COLLECTION
A collector is someone who assembles around himself objects that he enjoys. They can be timeless or trendy, inexpensive or extravagant, flat or multi-dimensional. The key here is that the focus is on the person collecting, not what is being collected. Art is a very personal experience, and the collector is in the business of making choices.
From the introduction of the printing press, graphic arts were highly collectable. Created to provide a means of communication and education for the widest possible audience (most of whom couldn’t read) they conveyed a message that had wide appeal and needed no words to be understood. The seventeenth century saw prints sought after and collected for their subject matter and the reputation of the artist. As graphic processes became more technically advanced, a group of master printers emerged with images so skillfully executed and artistic that they are still among the most sought after prints of all time.
In the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century there were two kinds of collectors: the wealthy sponsors who would collect a complete study and keep it as part of their library, and the emerging middle classes who would buy individual images for education or amusement. Prints had to tell a story visually and so details were important. Many prints were discarded shortly after viewing, much like our newspapers today; others were tucked away and saved as the beginning of a collection.
After the social and industrial revolutions of the mid-nineteenth century, the sheer volume of images available coupled with the Victorian impulse to cover every inch of space with decoration produced the concept of purely decorative images that could be hung on the wall. Print rooms, where graphics were basically used as wall paper and hung floor to ceiling, were in vogue and even the humblest cottages had decorative graphics framed on the walls. This shift would forever change the nature of collecting.
HOW DO I BEGIN COLLECTING?
Rule #1: Buy what you love
The primary motive for buying a work of art is usually aesthetic and there are over five hundred years of graphic imagery from which to choose, encompassing an almost unlimited range of subject matter and style. There is real joy and excitement in looking, finding, and purchasing an original piece of graphic art. Begin by looking for prints that relate to a personal interest or fill a particular decorative need. Don’t be afraid to examine and explore styles that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Look for dealers that will let you exchange prints in the future if your tastes change or as you upgrade your collection. Whatever you do, collect what you like and not what you think will make a good investment someday in the future.
Rule # 2: Train your eye
The best way to develop a discriminating eye and choose art that will provide longtime pleasure is to study museum collections, art books, and decorating magazines and to visit reputable dealers in their galleries or at art, antique, and book fairs. Each period in art reflects a particular style or interest. Each artist has his own particular visual signature and his techniques will either fit the style of the period or rebel against it. Look for those styles that appeal to your particular taste and those techniques that please you the most. Begin your education with books, magazines, and even the Internet. Save or mark images that you are particularly drawn to. Look at how a print fits into the general style of the period and the artist’s body of work. While this will get you started, it won’t substitute for actually looking at the real thing. Pay particular attention to the details within the print. No page or screen can convey the subtleties of paper texture, color hue, clarity of detail, and overall condition. Visit museums and art galleries. Ask questions. Take advantage of the knowledge, experience, and tastes of the experts. Discuss what makes a particular print special. As you explore the world of graphic art you will develop an “educated eye.”
Rule# 3: Always buy the best you can afford
Just as they say the most important thing to keep in mind when buying real estate is “location, location, location,” the most important thing that determines value with a print is “condition, condition, condition.” Inferior prints should only be purchased if they are particularly rare or temporarily fill a hole in a collection and should be replaced as soon as a better quality image can be found. Always buy the best condition you can afford at the time. Top quality will always bring top price while poor condition will always be poor condition.
WHAT SHOULD I COLLECT?
Start with something that grabs your interest. Look at it, learn about it, then look at it again. Don’t reject something simply because it doesn’t appeal to you at first glance. Just as there are many styles of graphics, there are many approaches to collecting prints. One may concentrate on the works of a single artist or group of artists, or a specific period, process, or subject.
Many collectors feel, however, that the most satisfying approach is to search for prints that relate to personal interest or fill a particular decorative need. Remember that collections evolve and tastes change, so take your time as you begin.
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