How to start a valuable art collection
We asked an art dealer how you can get a collection that will be the envy of your friends and could even make you some money
Words: Russell
If you fancy adding some colour to your home, or perhaps you’ve been advised to diversify your investment portfolio, now might be time to finally start an art collection.
In fact, now would be the perfect time. According to Knight Frank’s Wealth Report, the art market has seen a 9 per cent growth over the last year and is up a massive 158 per cent in the last decade – undoubtedly buoyed along by the headline-catching sales of pieces such as David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist ($90 million) and the supposed Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi ($450 million).
What’s more, art has the advantage of not being linked to the stock market, so if the economy crashes there is still the possibility that your collection could go up in value. Every cloud…
But we don’t blame you if the idea of getting into this murky and sometimes underhanded world is a little daunting. So we reached out to Jean-David Malat, the master of emerging artists and one of the very best connected men in London’s art scene, for his tips on getting your collection off the ground and onto your walls.
Jean-David Malat
Look first, ask questions later
“Go with your heart and your feelings,” advises Malat. “But after, it is always wise to ask an expert’s opinion about the value of an investment.”
There will always be those out there who know more about specific areas of the market than you, and there is no shame in picking their brains to find where it might be wise to put your money.
Bidding isn’t always best
Credit: Greg Funnell
With no gallery owner trying to up the price, a lot of people see auctions as the place to scoop a bargain on artwork. But if you take into consideration the premium, fees and shipping costs that all get added on after the hammer falls, that bargain can quickly become a lot more expensive.
According to Malat, going to a gallery can be far better value in the long run. “When you buy a fresh piece from a primary market gallery,” he says, “you have a much better chance that your piece is going to increase in value.”
Diversify your collection
“At the beginning you need to spread out,” says Malat, “to see what you’re feeling and what is talking to you.”
While there are collectors out there who specialise in the old masters, or modernist sculptures, it can often pay off to have a few different styles, mediums and genres in your collection.
“I mainly deal with painting” Malat tells us. “I love oil and acrylic. I can feel a moment of the artist’s life through the texture and emotions of the work. But I also deal in a few sculptors and even lighting installations.”
Find an up-and-coming artist and get in early
An exhibition at JD Malat Gallery of works by Santiago Parra
With some exciting talent popping up overseas, it can pay to look around and get a feeling for what the market is feeling at the moment. Make an early investment and it could pay out big time in a couple of years time.
Malat is probably one of the best at finding the next best thing; “I travel worldwide to find upcoming artists,” he tells us. “If we find one that we think has potential ,we do a solo exhibition and spread it out internationally.”
Display your collection where people will see it
Some investors and collectors will tell you that you should store valuable works of art in high-tech storage facilities, where light and humidity levels are controlled to prevent degradation.
But where’s the joy in that?
“I truly think you need to display your collection in your house or offices,” Malat insists. “Your friends and guests need to see them and talk about them.
“Art should breathe around you and live. It’s such a shame to tuck it away. You should enjoy it as much as you can, space permitting.”
Remember these names
So which artists should we be looking at right now? According to Malat, there are a few out there you should be considering.
“Santiago Parra, the young Colombian artist, has just had works purchased by the PAMM Museum in Miami and powerful art collectors. There’s also Li Tianbing, one of the most critically acclaimed Chinese-born artists of his generation.”
He told us a few more, but that’s for us to know and you to find out. Why not take a trip down to his gallery, JD Malat Gallery and ask him yourself? He’s often about and always up for talking young, emerging artists.
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