Why buy art?
What does it mean to have a piece of original art?
Imagine you just moved into a new place. You want to make the space as homey as possible because you dream about enjoying in it every day. You rush to IKEA to find some nice soft beddings with the pattern that you like, making you cheerful or calmed (or something else that I don’t know😳). You reached the kitchen area and picked out the most serviceable but decorative tablewares. Now, you walk into framed pictures area. The prints are so cheap, so you think you might as well get a few nature photos to fill some empty white space, thinking you might like it more, the longer you look at it. As days go by, life weighs you down. The print become dusty and faded. You even forget about the existence of those prints. The next time you come in interaction with them might be when you are moving out.
Why? You never really connected to it in the first place.
The truth is your desire to communicate your identity is stronger than you think. People need connection to the past, future, to the people they live with, to the things that matter to them. Our identity of human needs to be communicated, not only to the outside world but also to ourselves. We need to feel certain things about us. That’s why we need art that resonate with us at home, to create a sense of belonging for ourselves. A photo with your loved ones which tells your stories is better than an IKEA print.
The consumerism culture has made us so focused on instant gratification. We have begun to prioritize cost instead of value. If something fills our void and is cheap, we purchase it assuming it will be a smart buy, talking from my past fashion experiences here.
Now,
imagine buying a piece of art from an artist that you have been following the journey for a while. The artist is more like a human being or a friend, rather than dead old masters, thanks to technology. The colors are beautiful and your home is elevated. You might need to save for a few months for this purchase but you know you will pass it onto your family and tell them how special it is because of your own stories with it. The cost might be higher upfront, but you feel happy and calmed every time you walk past it. The painting reminds you of a favorite location in a family trip, a flower that reminds you of a special moment or someone, a milestone gift for your own journey or loved ones’. The boundless interpretation of meanings is held by the collectors.
Does this scenario sound better to you?
I know you might be thinking “Art is expensive. I can’t afford original art. Art is for the rich who have enough money for the basics and now want to nourish their mind.” Chances are you would've spent that anyway just searching for the value your heart truly wants, most likely a few similar but cheaper items that will never fill your void, and you end up spending a bit more. Art is not impulse buying. It requires a lot of thinking and evaluation. It takes the collector’s deep honesty with themselves to decide what’s value for them. I think the world has changed. The definition of art needs to be redefined. Art is not limited to those gazillion-dollar paintings represented by galleries and you don’t really know the artist. Art can be originals, prints, cards, hand-made ceramics, the pattern on your bed sheets, wedding invitations, drawing that your kids did, either on the wall or on paper, depending on your imagination. They can all be art if you said so.
Expensive does not equal to value.
I don’t often buy things because, first, I don’t have the finance to do that. Second, the most valuable things in my life are the people around me and my art. From time to time, I spend money on art supplies and frames, things that nourish my creativity and elevate my art. I had no hesitation in buying my art table and chair I’m using every day even though they cost my monthly salary. The cost was high upfront, but I knew it’s nothing in the long term if I get to enjoy it every day for many good years. I like to hunt vintage treasure in the trash area of our building or second hand clothing in the traditional markets because there are more stories and meanings than purchasing brand new stuff. My recent purchase was Arches 300gm watercolor paper for my mom. She also started watercolor lately and I want her to have more luxurious experience in art. Her experience is the most invaluable. I’m also thinking about buying handmade watercolor palette by another artist, but I’m still taking my time with the purchase. Purchasing art requires deep thinking. Happiness is about aligning our inner values.
The beauty of creativity
Hemp rope wired lampshade
Before buying, I also like to think whether I can create that item with my hands. Create over consume. Creating and bringing more value to the world makes me feel I’m more valuable as a human. And our home becomes more individualized with personal touches.
What about you? Do you mind sharing your art buying experiences? What’s value to you? What kind of shopping are you into?