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ART AS AN INVESTMENT
JUNE 22, 2020
Did you know that people buy art for investment?
Perhaps you are interested in collecting art, but you don’t know where to start?
If you’re like most of us, you can’t just roll up to Sotheby’s and drop a few million dollars on a Picasso. That’s why many savvy collectors invest in emerging artists. But where to start?
Art Market Gains: Iconic Works of Art That Weren’t Always So Expensive
It’s hard to imagine that some of our favorite artists were once complete unknowns. But art has the potential to grow in value exponentially, even in the matter of a few years. Here is some art your parents would have bought if only they had known...
1. Jean-Michel Basquiat - From Homeless to Household Name Untitled (Plush Safe He Think)
Take an artist like Basquiat, whose expressionistic take on graffiti art you’ve probably encountered during a trip to the MoMA or the Whitney. The kid from Brooklyn who spray-painted graffiti on buildings around the city became an artistic sensation in a short space of time thanks to curators and gallerists who knew they were looking at something special. In fact, Debbie Harrie (aka Blondie) bought one of Basquiat’s first paintings for just $200.
2. Andy Warhol - Campbell’s Soup Never Tasted so Expensive Mao
Andy Warhol’s iconic silkscreen technique has made him one of the most recognizable artists of all time. The most famous figure of pop art, Warhol’s artistic interpretations of popular culture earned him more than just “15 minutes of fame”. Early collectors and supporters of Warhol’s works included people like Emily and Burton Tremaine and Liza Minelli; they had a feeling Warhol would become a superstar.
3. Yayoi Kusama - Capitalizing on Infinity Pumpkin
You’ve probably encountered one of Yayoi Kusama’s installations filled with mirrors, lights, or her iconic polka dots. Way before people were posting selfies with her art all over Instagram, curators, investors, and gallerists were enamored with Kusama’s paintings and sculptures, which seemed to capture the concept of infinity.
4. Mark Rothko - The Children’s Drawing Teacher Worth One Billion Dollars Untitled
Art can sometimes feel intimidating; you might look at a painting by Mark Rothko and think - what is it? But the goal when looking at contemporary, abstract art isn’t to decipher hidden images or messages on the canvas, but to embrace the feeling you get when you look at it. You don’t need to be an art historian to collect art, but you should like the art you collect. Who knows? Maybe the original owner of this piece bought it because orange was their favorite color.
5. KAWS - Social Media’s Favorite Artist Accomplice
KAWS has become the hypebeast of the contemporary art world. With over 3 million followers on Instagram, his distinctive style is immediately recognizable. These days his sculptures are highly sought after and have fetched millions of dollars, but in the 90s, he was just a graffiti artist from Jersey City.
At some point, all of these artists were unknown emerging artists. Their talent and artistry speak for itself, but without investors and the global art market, they wouldn’t be the household names they are today. The next generation of great artists is out there, waiting for you to discover them.
Credit: Price info from https://www.masterworks.io
So what now?
There are thousands of working artists in New York City alone...which should you invest in?Curina gives a platform to emerging artists that we believe are not only exceptionally talented artists but also visionaries whose ideas and experiments will make an important contribution to the contemporary art world in the next few years.
Rental art is ideal if you’re feeling a little unsure about diving into the world of fine art. You can spend some time with your piece before committing to it, in order to ensure that you are making the right decision. It is a very low-risk way to start collecting art and you’ll have the added bonus of hanging an original work of art in your home or office.
Investing in art can seem like a daunting or risky endeavor. Perhaps you feel you don’t know enough about art, don’t know which artists to invest in, or maybe you just get bored and your feet hurt when you walk around an art museum. But these things shouldn’t stop you from joining the growing global art market.
