How to start an art collection, according to the experts

On the morning I found out my mother had died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, an art work I had recently purchased unexpectedly turned up by courier. As I ripped the packaging off, everything about the Gordon Walters work reminded me of Mum: the koru swirls shaped like the ocean waves she loved so much, painted navy, which had been her favourite colour. Almost two years later, it hangs in my living room and I think of Mum every time I see it.

I don’t consider myself an art collector but I’ve bought a few pieces over the years when I’ve had spare cash and a piece of art has lured me. If an artwork has climbed in value since I bought it, that’s an added bonus. I’m more of what the Wellington art dealer Hamish McKay would call a “pleasure collector’’ than an investment collector.

Sitting in his Wellington apartment surrounded by art works he has bought or been given by artist friends over the past three decades, McKay is one of Wellington’s most established art dealers. As both a dealer and a collector, he has some tips for those seeking to start an art collection. Look around, read and learn about art.

“Go to museum exhibitions and art exhibitions and start to find artists you like. Your instinct will kick in and things will be meaningful.’’

READ MORE:
* The Frame: What is an art advisor?
* Experts give their top tips on buying antiques
* Where to start with art when you don’t have a fortune to spend?

“It’s a cliche – buy what you love, but how do you know what you love unless you start learning about it? It should be pleasurable.’’

If you’re spending thousands and want art as investment, get some advice from an art consultant or dealer.

McKay set up his gallery 30 years ago. He had one art work he wishes he had snared – a Bill Hammond work on paper, which went for a few hundred dollars in the mid-90s. “I kick myself because of what that would be worth now,’’ he says.

Jim and Mary Barr have been collecting mainly New Zealand art for the past five decades. More than 120 of their works are on long-term loan at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery as one of their goals is for the works to be seen. Now in their 70s, the Barrs started collecting when Jim was at art school, when he made friends with artists.

They bought four Colin McCahon works when the iconic artist was priced low – they’ve since sold three – and have big collections of works by Peter Robinson, Julian Dashper, Michael Parekōwhai, and Mikaela Dwyer. Usually, they buy works not long after they’ve been created, and have more recently been collecting video art and objects as they live in an apartment. Their attitude has been to get to know artists, visit their studios and work closely with a handful of dealers they trust.

When asked for advice for new collectors, Mary says: “People get into trouble when they think that’s a big wall behind the couch so we need some art. It’s better to grow your collection.’’

They warn against paying too much for a print of an expensive artwork, “which can essentially be a poster’’. “You can literally smell the ink on it. Buyer beware,’’ says Jim.

Auckland art dealer Dominic Feuchs has one key message for collectors starting out. “Don’t get talked into what you should buy. Galleries used to be bad at saying that if you don’t like this, there’s something wrong with you. Build up some confidence to know what you like. We have people who come in here and say – what’s good or what should I like?’’

“An easy way to get around that is the more you look at, you’ll quickly identify your personal taste.’’

Feuchs – owner of Starkwhite Gallery in Auckland – advises to do some research if you’re buying a piece of blue-chip art. Don’t spend more than $10,000 for an artwork that might be worthless if you want to sell it. The artist should be established, either in a museum collection or in an exhibition programme, and they should definitely be represented by a dealer. In the New Zealand art market, there is “arbitrary pricing’’. “People are spending things that are essentially worthless if you wanted to sell them on the secondary market.’’

He says that if you are buying with a partner, you might need to negotiate if you have different taste. Also take a work home and try it on the walls. “It’s good if you can get a sense of the colours it might work with… Things frequently change when you get them into the confines of your own home. They feel bigger, smaller.’’

 

If you decide to go down the art auction route, always ask for a condition report. “If a work is 20 years old, you want to check the condition. I’ve seen some blue-chip works coming through at auction and they’re rotten at the back because they were printed 30 years ago.’’

Art buying groups are “wonderfully social’’ but he cautions that you might not like some of the artworks that have been purchased. “You’re buying from a very eclectic taste. Some people grow to appreciate the works.’’

A new generation of younger artists are working overseas and involved in an international contemporary art scene. Some can go on to have “wonderful careers’’ and deserve and require support. “If you’re not worried about art as an investment, it’s like backing a start-up versus an established company. Occasionally, you might back a winner.’’

Tips for a beginner art collector

– “Buy what you love – always. Have fun with it. Art is best enjoyed in real life, with friends and family.” –Hayley White, Aotearoa Art Fair director

– “Develop a collecting style you like and follow it. No-one can tell you what you will like until you start looking at art. Don’t get talked into the idea that this is a great purchase or it’s a great investment.” – Dominic Feusch, Starkwhite Gallery owner

– “Find one of the top dealer galleries whose work you enjoy or are interested in. Buy something; Buy something else.” – Jim and Mary Barr, art collectors for 50-plus years

– “Don’t buy a piece to fill a wall, and don’t buy something because your friends have it and you think you should have one too.” – Hamish McKay, Wellington art dealer

Art lovers giveaway: Aotearoa Art Fair, artfair.co.nz, runs March 2-5 at The Cloud, Auckland. Win tickets to the fair, lunch for two at Amano on March 2 and two nights accommodation for two at QT Hotel, March 2 and 3. To enter email ‘art fair’ to sundaymagazine@stuff.co.nz. For full terms and conditions go to stuff.co.nz/sundaycomp.