Posted by Simone | 31 October 2018
This week we hand over the metaphorical pen to Willem Baars: a prominent art consultant, art historian and publicist based in the Netherlands. He is that curated our special Modern & Contemporary Art auction, featuring many great works of art. The auction runs from 2nd to 18th of November 2018. This week, he shares with us his view on how to create a good collection and his advice for young collectors.
__________
This is how you create a good collection: never make concessions towards the art market! The challenge is to convince people with your story and that is what truly counts.
People tend to forget that before the internet evolution, or revolution depending on how you look at it, this exchange of information increased dramatically. This resulted in an overflow of information and consumer stimulation. Of course, this development made the art market a lot more volatile. A lot of people find it hard to make a selection when looking for an artwork to buy. Especially with young people, you can see their fear for the abundance of works to choose from.
Some artworks can have a very high quality and still have an underground status, this is what makes my profession so challenging and fun. I truly believe that good art with high quality should be represented and seen by the public. That’s why I always have a 100% conviction when presenting an artwork in my gallery.
Here in my gallery, I try to change the pace, I try to filter out the speed of the current art market. I try to offer a crystal clear programme, focused on artists who find their wealth in the pure art of painting instead of being simply easy to digest works of art. It is an entirely different way of looking at art, you will have to make an effort! It’s a phenomenon: there’s slow food but there’s also slow art. This art slows down the spectator because the art itself demands the beholder to really observe and discover what can be found within an image. This is the way I like to operate.
It is a fact that a lot of galleries are struggling to survive. A big part of the art scene is focused on art that is shallow and may look trendy but is not sustainable in the long run. Young collectors should be able to make a choice instead of following the herd!
My advice for collectors is to observe. Observe a lot and then observe some more. Reading about art will also help you to place artworks in a certain context. It is important to filter news about why galleries are having a hard time selling art. Don’t let social media decide what you should or shouldn’t like. It’s hard for young people to have a clear image about where to start when you want to collect. To begin with: go to a museum once a week and start reading critical texts about art, it will give you so much more insight than just browsing through e-zines.
About the auction
This auction shows a great variety of styles and artists. Together these artworks form a collection with a lot of history. Many of these pieces were exhibited by galleries in Amsterdam that really had a big influence on the art market. Take for instance the gallery of Barbara Farber, which has always been pioneering in bringing international modern art to Amsterdam. There is so much to learn from the artworks, the artists and the people who represented the artists in this collection. I would advise people to discover this auction one piece at a time and take the effort to do their own research on. By making it a personal endeavour, it also becomes a well-calculated acquisition for your collection.
__________
Visit our special Modern & Contemporary Art Auction Curated By Willem Baars from 2nd to 18th November 2018.
Discover more paintings | Dutch and Belgian art | International Modern art
You might also enjoy these articles: