While the same rules apply for collecting pretty much anything you can think of, collecting fine art seems to be the cause of some trepidation among neophytes. The truth is that collecting in general is an enjoyable journey of discovery and learning.

The myth of prior knowledge that discourages many novice collectors is a misleading notion. You should not feel that you lack the expertise needed to successfully put a collection together. That will come in time and it will grow as your collection expands.

John Lennon said it best: “All you need is love”…and in the world of collecting this is the very first and most important requirement. A deep love for the object itself be it a quilt, a vase or a painting, should always be the starting point of a collection.

After that, the hunt begins. Enjoy this process and be patient. Experience the joy of searching on your own terms and go where your heart takes you. Never allow someone else to select items for your collection as it would transform it into something impersonal and disconnected from you.

Buy those objects that tug at your heartstrings. Don’t think in terms of monetary returns or investment and don’t worry if you cannot afford works by internationally known artists. The emerging artists you are supporting today could very well be the famous figures of the future.

Notice how your taste changes over time. If your focus shifts into a different arena a great option is to trade or even donate the items you wish to remove from your collection. Perhaps, you could give a piece to a friend who loves it and, in turn, spark the launching of a new collection. Eventually, you will find your niche. Specialization on a specific medium, style or period emerges with time.

Above all be a good caretaker of your artworks. You are a link in a long chain that will go on for as long as a piece remains intact. Read about how to best expand the life of you collection and how to protect and properly store the items that you so lovingly and patiently gathered.

Time will do the rest and you will acquire a great deal of experience and an education that no other pursuit could have provided. The artwork you selected for your collection will tell your story and your collection will be a tangible and beautiful reflection of who you are inside.

A short but interesting clip on ARCOmadrid 2010…and a little bit of shameful promotion from SAAB…The cars are good…what can I say…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU_oT09OqA4

"Stairway to Heaven" Eugenio Merino ARCO 2010

The Israeli Embassy has complained about the work ‘Stairway to Heaven’

The ARCO modern art fair in Madrid has its first controversy of the year with a work ‘Stairway to Heaven’ from the young Madrid artist, Eugenio Merino.

It shows an Arab on his knees praying, with a Catholic priest on the Arab’s back also knelt in prayer and with a Rabbi in turn standing on the shoulders of the priest.

The work, made from resin, silicone and human hair, has already sold to a Belgian collector for 50,000 € as is exhibited as part of the space from the ADN Gallery in Barcelona, but has also drawn a complaint from the Israeli Embassy in Spain. They have commented that the freedom of expression or freedom of art serves on occasions only as a simple mask for prejudice. ‘An offensive message does not stop the hurt because it pretends to be an artistic work’.

The artist has said he did not want to provoke with the work, saying that his idea was ‘the co-existence of the three religions, each making a common effort to reach God on the literal plain’.

Eugenio Merinos "Acorralado" ARCO 2010

ARCOmadrid has opened its doors with a huge dose of optism and a measure of caution. There are artworks of every possible type and price. There is also a great deal of controversy and visitors, anxious to see for themselves, keep pouring in…ARCOmadrid is the first major art fair of the year and it never ceases to amaze…It often sets the tone for the rest of the year’s fairs and everyone is hard at work to project a positive turnaround in terms of new sales…Read more>

ARCO madrid will again afford some selected photographers the opportunity to infiltrate the fair and record images of the event right from the trenches…In previous editions, this tradition has yielded some very interesting new perspectives on the fair and the work included in it…The bulk of the participating photographers has been from local origins, but many other countries also have been represented…Among them, Great Britain, the United States, Peru, Venezuela, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Italy and France…

To mark the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography, the Amigos de ARCOmadrid Association initiated in 1989 an experience called Photographic Glimpses. Each year, they invite several photographers, both promising emerging artists and renowned ones, to cover the fair from the setting up of stands to its closing. The 427 pieces of work by 83 photographers produced so far represents a true documentary archive.

The result has been a unique and personal vision of how the artists experience this commercial event. Some of them create complex scenarios and others simply await their opportunity to start clicking away at that very precise moment of synchronicity. Their perspectives determine their prefered subejct matter, their style and the number pf photograph that each one brings to the mix.. This is what makes the collection of Glimpses so singular. Many of these photographers could never have imagined that ARCOmadrid would provide a such an exceptional motif for creative interest all in itself.