The Art of Buying Art: An Insider's Guide to Collecting Contemporary Art
 | Format: Hardcover List Price: $39.95 Our Price: $18.75 Your Save: $ 21.20 ( 53% ) Availability: N/A Average Customer Rating:   |
Editorial Reviews:
"The desire to surround ourselves with things that comfort, please, or excite our sensibilities is a common human trait. We're a collecting species. But we're also an aesthetic species. We respond to beauty, creativity, and originality. Put those sensibilities together and you have the makings of an art collector." --Paige West
In The Art of Buying Art, contemporary art expert and self-described art addict Paige West breaks through the misconceptions about contemporary art and inspires readers to discover the joy of collecting original works.
With its rich sampling of gorgeous, provocative full-color artworks from some of today's most talented artists, and practical advice on how to find, buy, and care for art as a collector, The Art of Buying Art reveals the contemporary art scene to be more exciting and accessible than ever. West urges readers to partake of this vibrant world of galleries, art fairs, studio visits, and auctions, offering guidance on which questions to ask, how to negotiate prices, and how best to display and maximize the value of original artwork in the home.
Whether you've already taken the plunge with your first few purchases or have yet to part with those generic art posters left over from your college days, this book is the only primer that you'll ever need to whet your appetite and boost your confidence for acquiring amazing new contemporary art that will enrich your life--without breaking the bank.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Comment: I've just started exploring art collection and discovered this book. I thought the book had some great advice about how to get started thinking about what art I want to collect and why. As the author says "art should be fun." After reading this book I realized that my approach was all wrong, I was dealing with galleries that weren't fun and it was nice to hear someone in the business tell me that it doesn't have to be that way for beginners like me.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you want to learn how to collect art, Start Here.
Comment: "The Art of Buying Art" is a wonderfully comprehensive primer for anyone interested in real art collection for real people with real budgets (but sophisticated taste levels to boot).
The author's unpretentious take on collecting is a refreshing point of view, and the scads of illustrations and pics help introduce new contemporary artists and new art styles that a fledgling collector may otherwise overlook. As a budding collector myself, I came away with an "I can actually do this" attitude, and look forward to applying this book's lessons to building my own little gallery in my own apartment.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Art of Buying Art: An Insider's Guide to Collecting Contemporary Art
Comment: For anyone leery of investing in art, anyone interested in starting collecting, and anyone simply interested in learning more about contemporary art, Ms. West's book is essential. "Buying Art" is well written, engaging and very informative and will make you a much more knowledgeable and shrewd collector.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An informative read and a lovely gift
Comment: I'm not particularly well-versed in art history, and visit museums infrequently (there are few notable ones near my home), but have always intended to learn more about fine art, and particularly contemporary art. Either from the perspective of a novice collector or someone who wishes to educate him/herself, I highly recommend this title. The book is accessible and informative, infuses the reader with the writer's clear sense of enthusiasm for the subject, and lacks the condescending or arcane tone taken by some of its similarly-themed predecessors. If you want to familiarize yourself with the basics of the fine art trade, sharpen your tastes, and/or eventually own a small collection, I strongly recommend this title.
Customer Rating:
Summary: De-mystifying the art world
Comment: When someone recommended this book I was skeptical, as I thought of art collecting as something beyond my means. But Paige West does a good job of demystifying the art world, with solid advice on understanding, selecting, buying and living with contemporary art. It's an easy and enjoyable read, and the book is packed with examples of works from emerging artists. Some I don't care for, but there were others whose work I'll seek out. Fortunately, the book also explains how galleries work, and how to find artists you like. This book is not a coffee table decoration - read it and use it.
Technical Details
Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 707.5
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Collins Design
Manufacturer: Collins Design
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 208
Publication Date: 2007-03-06
Publisher: Collins Design
Release Date: 2007-05-22
Studio: Collins Design
