01/12/2006
DANGEROUS BLURB
Some of you may have already been to one or more of our openings at Dangerous Curve, where we went against the apparent recent trend towards galleries scaling back on such things as food. (We not only had food and drink, but live art, art bands, and experimental music.) Our mission was to attract not only those well-versed in art, but those who otherwise would not come to an art opening yet would come to a community celebration. Happily, our plan seems be working. We're told that our openings are definately welcoming, rather than being intimidating haute culture ordeals.
We figured that even if people who came to our openings didn't initially know about art, they would leave knowing a little more. Eventually, if they kept coming, they would know a lot about art, and good art at that! We're convinced that the road to being sophisticated about art is a matter of repeated exposure to sophisticated art. At first it may seem a bit strange, this art, but eventually the more you know, the more you'll demand of it.
Once you get the art "bug," you may want to go to the next step: collecting. "How can I collect art," you ask, "if I'm not a millionaire?" Well, you can collect emerging artists who haven't get made it into the spotlight, yet who produce perfectly good art.
Buy the best piece that's within your budget. By "best," we mean some combination of the best that the artist has done, and the best artist you can afford. Factor into the equation how rare the piece is.
Make sure the dealer gives you a letter of authenticity. You want neither a fake nor something that's been stolen. This may be less important if you're collecting emerging artists, as they are less likely to be faked, but it's still a good idea to have the paperwork to back up your piece.
If you find a piece you just love that isn't in pristine condition, consult experts about restoring it. Poor repair work will most assuredly reduce a piece's value. It may even be the case that you don't need to fix it.
Who's owned a piece before and what exhibitions it's been in is probably not an issue with the works of emerging artists. However, if a piece you want has been owned by art world celebrities or been in seminal exhibitions, don't let hype lead you to paying an inflated price that won't hold. You should never buy art just as an investment. If you're buying something just because it's a good deal, you'll end up with work that may not hold up either aesthetically or economically. The art world is constantly reevaluating itself, and trends that are popular in one era may fall into disfavor in another. The converse is also true.
Again and again we've read that art collectors with great collections basically followed their passion: simply put, they bought the art they liked! So, if you see something you really like and would want to keep for years and years, then you should see if you can afford it. If you can, you should buy it. Of course, you need to educate yourself, and art dealers can help you put things into perspective until you have enough confidence to listen to your own intuition. We'll help you, too, by introducing you in this column to artists who are doing high-quality work that is still affordable.
Check out the upcoming artLA art fair, which includes some collecting seminars and an opening night benefit where you can meet other beginning collectors. Another great resource is Art-Collecting.com.
Regards,
Dangerous Curve
dangerouscurve.org
|  |
Congratulations to one of our artists, Tim Quinn, for being invited to participate in "Invitational," an exhibition of artists selected by the USC School of Fine Arts MFA students. The opening on Thursday, January 12, 2006, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the Gayle and Ed Roski Master of Fine Arts Gallery at the USC School of Fine Arts Graduate Fine Arts Building, 3001 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007.
Dangerous Curve is pleased to be participating in this year's artLA art fair, a highly successful major contemporary art fair that debuted last year. It runs from January 26--29, 2006 in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, located at 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica.
 Dangerous Curve is a leading contemporary art space in the Artists District of Los Angeles. It is a privately run venue for live art, experimental art and music, and installations. The gallery supports visionary established and emerging artists of all ages, with live art residencies and one-person shows of risky, intelligent work that's ahead of the curve.
We are on hiatus until later this year. Visit our website at dangerouscurve.org, where you can see photos of past exhibits and events, buy art online, book parties in the space, and become part of our community by donating to our Events and Openings Fund.
|