Posts Tagged ‘art’

Buying The Perfect Piece Of Art

วันจันทร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 1st, 2010

Consumers in search of that perfect piece of art often find themselves lost in a tangle of webs created by less than helpful gallery curators, bidding wars, and issues stemming from exhibit proximity and lack of time.

Shopping for accents to complement your home d้cor should be a pleasant experience, one which you look forward to and that expands your creativity.
While attending a gallery exhibition definitely has its benefits the hors d’oeuvres, conversation and cocktails the draw of the crowd can often be overwhelming.

We are not saying you need to succumb to the perils of dealing with large retail chains, which stock over-produced re-prints cased behind plastic frames. And purchasing your art in the same place you go to buy your milk is definitely out of the question. So, what do you do when you want designer d้cor but don’t want to leave the house to find it?

Buyoutsidethebox.com, an online art gallery, is an ideal solution for all of your creative needs. With a name like Buyoutsidethebox.com, you can expect a selection that you most likely wouldn’t find elsewhere. Ruth Mitchell, the creator of Buyoutsidethebox.com, traded in her career in magazine publishing in order to pursue a lifelong dream of owning her own art gallery.

However, Mitchell wasn’t one to sit behind a desk all day, pushing papers and dealing with the public. She felt her time would be better spent searching for innovative artists, new concepts, and artwork that ultimately represented something outside the box. Enlisting help from her business savvy daughter, Cecelia, Mitchell soon turned her dream into a reality.

“I had seen Web sites that sold art, but they were lacking in so many ways. I wanted more of an exclusive collection to be offered in a classy magazine format,” Mitchell said. “We would start out small, but focus on quality, building on the original concept.”

As an avid online shopper, Mitchell was determined to make her new Web site user friendly. “I shop online a great deal myself, and two things I do not like are, having to register to visit a site, and paying a lot of extra costs as you check out,” Mitchell said.

“So, we asked our artists to factor in shipping. We can do that with most of the art.” With merchandise spanning the gamut, the Web site features paintings and photography, jewelry and glass, women’s apparel and children’s accessories, textiles and leather books, and a collection of well-written articles.

“Our theme is creative consumerism,” Mitchell said. “Anything that falls under that umbrella will show up on our site.” In addition to the merchandise sold on the Web site, which is hand-selected by Mitchell from more than 50 artists, Buyoutsidethebox.com offers its customers the luxury of perusing featured collections by visiting their blog.

The blog is much more than an extension of the Web site; it showcases a wide array of any and all things artistic while capturing the essence of creative consumerism. The blog’s resourceful list of Arts and Culture Web sites proves to be a valuable tool for any creative mind.

And with an extensive background in magazine publishing, you can rest assure that this isn’t just some run-of-the-mill blog but rather a tasteful narrative covering everything from museum profiles to film reviews.

Buying An Abstract Painting

วันจันทร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 1st, 2010

You may be mistaken in thinking that buying a piece of abstract art would be a simple thing to do. You just select the work you want… and buy it!

The truth will creep up on you as soon as you look at the first painting “it is not quite the right one, so I will look for another”.

Here is the first realization - and question to ask yourself - why exactly is this piece you are looking at “not quite right”? The answer can be manifold:

1. It includes a colour I do not like
2. I am not sure it will go with another item in the space I would like to place it
3. A slow realization that a certain personal undesirable association is being emitted from the painting
4. It looks great but I am not sure it will fit the space
5. It is just right but the price is a little bit more than I wanted to pay… and the list goes on.

Although I do not have all the answers I will endeavour to reveal, from my own personal experiences, a few solutions.

So, you see a picture you like but the colour combination is wrong. Put simply the thing to do is to contact the artist and tell them your dilemma. You will find that some of them will either be able to reproduce a similar work in the colours you prefer, or they will be willing to notify you when and if they produce a work that might be nearer to the colours theat you require.

If size is an issue then I would advise the same as above - contact the artist and tell them the problem. I believe you will receive a similar reply to that which I have written above.

Make sure that when you do make a purchase that the artist is offering a return policy. I have a ten day return policy which means that if you buy a painting and hang it in your space - if within ten days of purchasing it you become uncomfortable with it for any reason and you cannot live with it, then you may return the piece and your money will be returned. An important point here worth mentioning is the fact that you have made certain decisions on buying this piece of work, therefore it is worthwhile mentioning it to the artist which will enable them, if they so inclined, to produce a work that has omitted the undesirable entity. This way you may well end up with a work that will be of greater value to you - having communicated your dilemma.

Price can be a tricky challenge - but many artists offer different ways to help you buy the piece you want. If, for instance, the piece you like is too expensive for you then you have a number of choices. Perhaps the most preferable choice is for you to negotiate the price with the artist. However, please bear in mind that the artist has produced a totally unique painting - there is nothing like it in all the world! Also spare a thought for the fact that the artist will have spent time struggling to get the work out onto the canvas. A well known saying is that a piece may well have taken only a few hours to produce, but you should also take into account the years the artist has been at work - so if someone says to me “it can only have taken you three hours at the most” I reply “no… it has taken me FORTY YEARS and three hours!” If you keep these in mind then negotiate with what you might see as a realistic price for you and a price that will have taken the above into account for the artist.

Some artists will not barter prices - but they may be willing to sell you the work if you pay by installments. You have to ask yourself here “Do I REALLY want this piece?” If you answer yes then you will find the money… because you want to - you want the work.

Let us say that you see an artists work - you love the style - you would very much like to have a painting on your wall… but you see nothing that grabs you. Try contacting the artists and commissioning them to painting you a picture… this way you may be able to influence the end result by instructing the artist to use certain colours, or specific shapes. Or if they are not inclined to work that way then they might put you on their mailing list that will inform you when their latest piece is about to go on show - you will be offered “first refusal”.

One final thing worth mentioning is the fact that a growing number of artists are making their works available as high quality giclee prints. These reproductions are very close to the original work, and some of the reproduction houses actually ensure that every brush stroke has the appropriate texture and “feel”. So in many ways you could purchase a work that is almost identical to the original piece except for one very big fact - the price of the print. The print will be of a limited edition, making it a collectible investment - and it will have been checked, numbered, and signed by the artist.

If none of the above proves to be useful to you then the simplest thing to do is contact the artist and just talk to them, tell them what you think of their work, what you are looking for - anything… just communicate with them, and I think you will find that you will not only buy yourself something that you will love and cherish … but you will also bond with the artist themself in a way that you could never do if you walked into a place selling paintings and chose a piece hanging on a wall.

Artists Biographies on Film: Top Movies about Visual Artists

วันจันทร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 1st, 2010

Visual artists biographies is a popular theme in the movie world. Moviemakers have always been fascinated by visual artists biographies, especially if it includes struggle with insanity, drug addiction or social conventions. In addition, it gives them an opportunity to depict original or resurrected artworks on the big screen.
Here you can read about some of the most interesting movies about visual artists biographies.
Lust for Life directed by Vincente Minnelli in 1952

Vincent Van Gogh biography had gained several cinematic adaptations. Lust for Life with Kirk Douglas as the struggling artist is one of the most notable. The movie is based on a best selling book by Irving Stone, who also authored The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michelangelo, which also had appeared on the silver screen.

If you are a fan of Van Gogh artwork, you would enjoy watching Last for Life, which features almost 200 of Van Goghs original paintings. However, if you are familiar with Kirk Douglas previous filmographic, seeing him as a tortured Dutch painter might take a little adjustment. Another recommended film about Van Gogh is Robert Altmans Vincent and Theo from 1990.

Surviving Picasso directed by James Ivory in 1996

Like Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso image made him an iconic figure outside the artistic circles. While Van Gogh symbolizes the self destructive, manic depressive artist who achieves success only after his death, Picasso represents the misanthropic and womanizer artist. Picasso infamous relationship with women is the focus of this Merchant and Ivory film. The story is told from the eyes of Picasso mistress Francoise Gilot and features only reproductions of Picasso works. With Anthony Hopkins talent and his physical resemblance to Picasso, Surviving Picasso manages to create an unflattering portrait of an artist as a cruel, self centered genius.

Girl with Pearl Earring directed by Peter Webber in 2003

Comparing to Van Gogh and Picasso, Vermeers biography is less known and less controversial. Therefore Girl with Pearl Earring is much more restrained and delicate. The movie focuses on a short period in Vermeers life in which he was painting the portrait of his young low class maid. Although Girl with Pearl Earring does not avoid filmic conventions by over dramatizing Vermeers painting process, the movie is worth watching if only for its artistic design, which success in evoking Vermeers perception of light and color.

Basquiat directed by Julian Schnabel in 1996

The most common critique against movies that deals with visual arts is the way they depict the creation process. Therefore, there were big expectations from Basquiat, which was directed by the celebrated painter Julian Schnabel. Schnabel did well in depicting Jean Michelle Basquiat rise and fall story in less the predictable manner we have seen millions time before. However, the only reason to watch Basquiat is David Bowie plays the role of Andy Warhol.

Frida directed by Julie Taymor in 2002

Like most of the visual artists who had their life story appear on the silver screen, Frida Kahlo carried an unusual biography, which includes bus accident, problematic marriage, and an affair with Leon Trotsky. Like Van Gogh, Picasso and Jackson Pollock, who was the subject of a biopic from 2000, Frida Kahlo was an icon long before Frida was released, but the 123 minutes film did help to strength her position as a feminist idol and probably the most famous woman painter of the 20 century. Frida tries its best to integrate Frida Kahlo life story with her painting and the result is very colorful and pleasant, but still does not stay far enough from the conventions of depicting artists on film.