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If you are an artist or want to collect works by emerging artists, it is good to thoroughly investigate the career of the artist in question. If you are a collector it is obvious that your works have already aroused your interest because they produce a pleasant sensation when you are in front of them (that is what art should produce: emotions) but it does not stop there
You have to go a little further so that your investment is promising. It is good for both the artist and the potential customer to find the perfect combination of talent and good investment. There is a lot of “bluff” that, with blows of luck or good marketing, can explode. It is about giving added value to the work of emerging artists so that it really is special.
The art world is not exactly simple, but you can always try to do things in the right way. Remember, one thing is art and another is the art market, which are united by a very thin thread that can easily be broken.
There are many collectors, curators and gallery owners in the “hunter” plan as if it were the music industry from the 80´s and 90´s. Finding balance is the challenge, both for emerging artists and for those who invest. The ideal situation is that the relationship between the one who wants to live from his work and the one who invests (art / pocket) can go hand in hand.
As a buyer of art, the first thing is to love what you see (the desire to have it because it moves you). You must also study the work and who created it. However, as an artist you have even more challenges.
If you are an artist or collector, you should take the following into account:
Aspects to buy work from emerging artists
- Investigate:
Research helps prepare the groundwork for both the one who wants to buy and the one who is creating. For emerging artists it is also good to know what is happening around them without leaving their motivations and concerns aside.
A good indicator to know if the artist is promising is his CV, if his work has been in art salons (for all levels), if he has made residencies of artists, collective exhibitions, articles or texts about his work or even prizes of artistic creation at a local, national and international level (as creators should send their work to contests – financing in the Internet era is not impossible).
The academic experience is important and demonstrates the interest of the artist in investigating his work, in learning techniques to experiment with his work and his interest in learning. Some famous artists like Rodin or Cy Twombly started at a fairly early age to perfect their techniques and rectify concerns in art schools.
- Be consequential and consistent:
There are important qualities that cannot be missing in emerging artists. The passion and energy that is dedicated, the respect for the details and how the work is treated by the artist is not learnt in the school of art.
The discipline that the artist has, his creative habits (from keeping a log with notes, ideas and sketches to putting into practice what is learnt in school and what is researched individually) allows you to work on the argument and personal statement.
It is true that there are artists who at one point did not have much to show on their CV. As emerging artists, they find themselves in that constant battle of searching for identity, visual and philosophical codes. In the same way, it is a practice that even a consecrated artist should not stop doing.
The consequence and consistency are achieved with work habits and discipline (while still having spontaneity). A visual artist must find his method which will be achieved by putting into practice, when creating, the things that are challenging.
3. Activity
An active creator consumes the aspects mentioned above. In addition to showing your work, it is good to notice the reaction of people who come to see your work (what produces them) and you must learn to receive positive and negative criticism. Always maintain the humility of having one foot on the floor to execute and one foot in the air to fly with your ideas.
Emerging artists, in addition to focusing on their work, always look for visual references. They observe their surroundings, their city, museums and, if they live in places that may not have too many institutions or museum, their streets or the outdoors will surely give them a lot of material.
4. There is no magic wand to create and buy
But the criterion exist. Left hand and right hand. Artists of emergent art with intuition. You have to be very careful with the labels you give your own work and its monetary value. In the case of the buyer it is good to question because it is a piece with which you will live and invest. In the case of emerging artists it is good to seek advice so as to get an idea of the prices they can handle.
5. Love and enjoy what you do
When you love something you give it everything. In art, that premise is also applied and that’s why it’s a challenge to be willing to get feedback. Everything has its reward so it is necessary that emerging artists remain strong and with open understanding. When you enjoy what you do, it shows in everything you create and transmits itself. In this way you will always be innovating and surprising.
Take into account these 5 aspects to make your work look stronger to a potential buyer and, of course, hand in hand with a good dossier, a dose of humility and passion for what you do. We cannot deny that strokes of luck exist for some emerging artists and that sometimes people can appear on the road or patrons who reach out to you (this is not always the case). But as this happens very little, we invite you to put the tips that we have given you in this post into practice.
Whether you are a collector or just curious, do not forget the potential that many emerging artists have.