On Collecting: A Considered Entry Point into Contemporary Art

There is a moment, in almost every atmospheric room, where the mind’s eye finds something to rest on, and this moment is so often the art, the view and then the furniture.

 

So when it comes to art procurement, we suggest that you enjoy the journey; take it slowly.

 

Contemporary art collecting carries a reputation for complexity which it doesn't entirely deserve. Art language can be opaque and the fear of making a mistake, keeps many people circling rather than committing. But the actual entry point is simpler than this mythology suggests: it begins with a sustained response to a single work.

Love at first sight is possible but not necessary. There are many entry points into the art market and the key point we refer to at Otomys is to consider the piece you return to, it is clearly speaking to you. It may be the piece that changes in different light or perhaps a painting that makes itself heard in the room or simply a composition which draws you in.

 

At Otomys, we've spent fifteen years watching this happen -  that moment when a collector stops browsing and starts seeing. It rarely begins with investment logic or provenance. It begins with attention … finding a still point between you and the art, allowing it to settle with you.

 

For the design-conscious buyer, art is often the last decision in a room and yet often the one that defines it. We'd suggest you do that differently - start with the art if possible. Let the work come first, or at least arrive in conversation with everything else. A painting is not a cushion. It doesn't exist to match - It exists to mean something. The spaces which are the most alive and engaging are the rooms where that tension is honoured, often it is the dissonance between the art and the rest of the room that works best!

 

So practically speaking, a considered entry into art collecting could look like this: spend time with the work first. Visit the gallery … more than once if need be. Ask questions about the artist's practice, not just the price. Understand that emerging and mid-career artists offer both genuine value and the particular satisfaction of supporting a practice as it unfolds.

 

There is no correct first art acquisition. There is only the one that stays with you, that’s the one that earns its place in the room, and in time, we hope you’d become inseparable from it.

 

That is what art collecting is all about .. it’s not about accumulation but rather Attention and Emotion made permanent!

 

Otomys represents over thirty Australian and International emerging and mid-career artists. We offer art consultancy for private and corporate collectors across Melbourne, Sydney and London.

 

If you're contemplating art procurement, please get in contact at info@otomys.com or visit us in the gallery to arrange a complimentary private consultation.