Stereotypes
Oh the abject horror of it all – going to a gallery to look perchance buy
some art. Or maybe you saw a beautiful painting through the window and
wanted to get a closer look. Unfortunately there was this tweedy little
man/woman with over-sized horn rimmed glasses perched on a pinched face that
looked you over and sniffed like they had walked into an odiferous
bathroom. What a cliché.
As funny as that is, and a lot
of times taken for gospel, it is simply not true. Most gallery owners and
their staff are wonderful people. They come in all shapes, sizes, and
temperaments. Their dual purpose in life is to seduce you with the art they
carry and then follow through and close the sale for cash. Just like any
other retail merchant. And hopefully come back again for more.
The major difference between a
hardware merchant and a gallery owner is that you know most of what is in
the hardware store and how it is used and that all the brand names are about
the same. All the chain saws work the same, cut wood, and cost about the
same. In a gallery same-sized paintings and sculptures can be wildly
different. Some of the artists have a bigger brand name than others. It
seems that in a gallery the whole affair is rigged against you.
Relax. All of the items
mentioned above can be true – but probably are not relevant. Art is what
you like, what you are comfortable with, and what you can afford. Over time
your tastes will change – you will sell the art that you are dissatisfied
with and buy new art. It is a delightful process not a destination set in
concrete.
What to look for
in a Gallery
First talk to friends with
similar interests. Do they have a few galleries that they rave about?
Visit their favorites. Check out gallery websites. Most galleries now have
web sites so that you can do a quick check to see if you are interested in
their offerings. Most galleries keep their web sites up-to-date. Galleries
in different cities can be seen at the Archer Exchange (www.ArcherExchange.com),
Art-Collecting.com (http://www.art-collecting.com),
and ArtNet (http://www.artnet.com/)
for example.
Every gallery is also
different. Certain items though are fairly standard. They have a
knowledgeable staff who knows about the art and artists. The gallery should
have some stock that is not on the sales floor, that the staff is willing to
show you. Some inventory (maybe as much as 25%) is in storage in the back
room waiting to rotate out onto the sales floor later. Most galleries
accept debit cards, credit cards, personal checks and travelers checks.
Many galleries also have extended payment plans for larger purchases.
The Actual Visit
Visiting a gallery is
wonderful. You get to explore a lot of new ideas at once. You get to see
the gallery owners’ taste in art, how he displays it, and how he groups
different art together. Lots of ideas to work with and assimilate.
Some galleries only show
figurative work (paintings and sculptures that are centered on people,
animals, or nature). Some galleries only show abstract work (everything
else). Finally there are galleries that show both in the same room. That
takes quite a personality and talent to juggle disparate styles and make it
look like absolutely gorgeous not jarring.
Afraid of being swooped down
upon by a bevy of sales assistants that cannot seem to leave you alone?
Attend artists opening nights, Third Thursday events, First Friday events,
etc. On these nights the galleries are usually fairly full of lookers and
buyers. You will not be molested by the spiky-haired sales assistants (if
this creature still exists); they are to busy. At these gallery events you
can see several open galleries in one evening. Makes a great date as well
as seeing a wide variety of art. A word of caution though – visit only two
or three galleries in an evening. You can overload on the art and not
remember what you saw where. That would be terrible!
Going to
galleries can be a lot of fun. Go and have some fun. You will see some
great art
and some so-so art. But you will come away with a better idea of what you
like and why
you like it. That is the first step in buying art. Enjoy!
Custom Orders always welcome.
