(reading time 4 min)
You really don't need to be an art connoisseur, or know anything about art, or be familiar with the art scene and the art market to be able to decide if you think a piece of art is beautiful.
I'm not really an art scene insider either, by the way. I'm largely self-taught and studied architecture instead of art because I wasn't even invited to the aptitude test. A big heartbreak back then. Before that, I learned mannerist porcelain painting. That's not looked upon so favorably on a resume if you want to apply for art studies. At least at that time.
So I am self-taught and meanwhile very happy about it. I certainly missed out on a few important lessons that I could have dealt with during my art studies. And only the studios and the extended time I could have devoted exclusively to my art! But I am now almost certain that the environment of art school at that time would also have left damage in my being.
So because I am self-taught, I had to, I could, I taught myself a lot of things. No one taught me the whole imaginary superstructure of art theory.
For me it has always been most important that art is beautiful. And that has not changed. It is of great importance to me that works of art, be they objects, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, etc., have beauty. possess beauty. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what feelings a work of art triggers in you, that you can easily judge.
I like it when a work of art playfully inspires me to new perspectives or to pause. And in any case, I want it to touch my soul and heart and uplift me in some way.
Personally, I'm not interested in shocking art. I also have no talent for political or explicitly socially critical art. It's not really part of my field of interest, at the moment. I would say it's just not in my nature. It's not what I'm looking for in art. But actually, I think beauty is quite political. It could be like a quiet lily pond in the midst of egocentrically distorted self-expression. In this metaphor, I would always choose the lily pond, which also has depth, and from whose muddy bottom the water lilies work their way up.
I feel spellbound by art that uses the means of beauty to flood a space with a certain energy that nourishes me. Art has the potential to transform an apartment into a real home. It creates identity, turns personality inside out (consciously or unconsciously). It inspires conversation and can create an atmosphere where an entire family gathers and guests feel comfortable.
Buying a piece of art, whether an original or a print, is in my eyes something very intimate and also an act of self-love. Art occupies a special position among all the things you can buy. You can't eat it. You can't wear it. You can't drive on the highway with it. It is self-sufficient and yet has the important task of enriching the world. It is a part of the artist who created it. It is a part of his being, thinking, feeling. It is his view of the world from within him. She is his vision. It has passed through him.
For me, there are really only two reasons to buy art. Either I have spontaneously and "inexplicably" fallen in love with a work and/or I have met the artist or read about them and feel attracted to their world. And quite often, the only words that describe it well are why I want the artwork: "Because I think it's beautiful." Do you perhaps feel the same way?
So again, you don't have to be a connoisseur of art or the art scene to decide what art is beautiful and good for you.
Luckily for all of us, there are countless artists and their lifestyles out there. Every time I discover a new artist I am overwhelmed by his special and unique expression. These many, coherent yet different ways of looking at the world and being in it are so precious. I love my fellow artists with all my heart and I thank each and every one of them for their will to bring beauty into the world.
When you buy something from an artist, you are showing him or her your appreciation for:
- many years of biting through
- overcoming (self-) doubt, again and again
- not giving up
- the drive to improve and expand one's own skills
- the courage to show and deal with your innermost self.
What you acquire, beyond the price you pay, is in a way priceless. It is given to you by the artist.I want to encourage you to approach the most diverse artistic worlds without shyness and inner barriers, at art markets, in galleries, on Instagram or major online platforms. And I hope I have succeeded in encouraging you to trust your gut feeling when it comes to choosing art. You decide what is beautiful to you.
From the bottom of my heart,
Claudia
PS: If you have more questions about choosing art, feel free to write me.
PPS: Every artist is happy about contact to his audience. So feel free to start commenting here.
PPPS: There are really no stupid questions.