The arrival of the Frieze fairs in Regent’s Park, NW1 tends to concentrate the mind on the art market, particularly as both Sotheby’s and Christie’s time high-value modern and contemporary auctions to coincide. The surrounding buzz can feel overwhelming and yet acquiring art can be not only highly rewarding, but also affordable.
London fairs – including Frieze, Frieze Masters, PAD and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair – are good places to start. ‘It helps to get your eye in, to work out your taste,’ says the art consultant Rebecca Gordon, who works with both interior designers and private clients.
There are other key factors to consider. First, galleries differ in whom they cater to. Some focus on placing work into notable collections, but the majority show pieces intended to be hung in our homes. Second, there is a general hierarchy of costs, with paint on canvas being the most expensive, descending through works on paper to original prints. ‘But scale has to be taken into account,’ says Rebecca. This is especially true for sculpture. ‘You also need to understand where an artist is in their career,’ she adds. ‘If they’re established, prices are higher, but there is less risk with resale. With an emerging artist, the element of the unknown can be exciting.’
Galleries can be a good source of guidance. ‘We welcome anyone asking to see more,’ says gallerist Lyndsey Ingram. ‘There are all sorts of things in the storeroom – works on paper and prints by other artists in the gallery stable.’ Her eponymous Mayfair institution is one of Rebecca’s go-tos, along with Tristan Hoare, Cristea Roberts Gallery, Cob and Jenna Burlingham. For smaller budgets, GrandyArt, Davina Barber and Laura Lopes operate online as well as by appointment and hold pop-up shows.
Instagram is also a valid shop front. It is worth knowing that some artists – at all levels – manage elements of their sales themselves. For example, Eileen Cooper RA sells her prints via her website while paintings and works on paper go through Huxley-Parlour and Rabley Gallery.
Rebecca’s final piece of advice is that a good collection is built up over time. While Lyndsey says, ‘Always buy with your eyes, not your ears’, stressing that the primary purpose of art is not financial value, but to enrich our lives.
