Years ago I lived in Africa with my family for a few years. My dad loved the country and the wildlife with a special interest in the birds, having always been a keen birdwatcher. As a result we spent a fair amount of time visiting nature reserves. A peculiar feature of business there was that artists would sell their crafts and art at the side of the road. This is how my dad acquired a few nice pieces depicting birds and the landscape that still remind him of the things he loved about the area to this day.
From knowing this I understand that art can bring you closer to memories that you treasure and that, for me, is probably the best reason for buying art. You could also buy art to remind you of anything else you value, maybe an emotion, a season, a cause, …
That brings me to my next reason that seeing something you connect with every day can make you feel more grounded. Life can change so much around us leaving us feeling lost and floating but reminding yourself of the things that are more deeply important to you can be like an anchor. This is also a benefit of art journaling … that you create visual reminders of things that have personal relevance to you.
Looking at art that is pleasing to you can also have a direct effect on brain chemistry according to neurobiologists. Semir Zeki, Professor of Neuroesthetics, has demonstrated this. It has been shown that more dopamine is made that leads to feelings of increased wellbeing. This is a similar case for creating art and is particularly relevant for sufferers of depression and anxiety (I can attest to this!).
But there are even reasons for buying art that you may not find pleasing to look at, and there is plenty of art out there that is challenging. You may not understand a piece of art initially but by living with it you can take your time to puzzle it out. Often the significance of a piece of art can come down to your interaction with it. For example what you ponder when looking at it.
You may also consider buying art as an investment and this may lead you into collecting art by specific artists. Buying art as an investment is a whole topic of its own and as far as I have read a lot of research is needed as well as some luck, not to mention money to spare, to buy pieces that will give you a return. However, there is no reason why you can’t consider yourself a collector of artists that are within your price range … it would be worth going to art fairs and look around online to find a range of styles that you might enjoy.
My last but not least reason for buying art would be to connect to and support an artist who you enjoy. By buying their art you are helping them to keep producing new pieces so you will want to find out about the artist and what they stand for. Art is a way of speaking to people about important issues across the centuries so be sure to support artists who make work that resonates with you and says things you agree with.
I hope this has helped take some of the mystique out of buying art. Go on …. find some art to love. Hugs, Ceri xx
