Starting an art collection can feel overwhelming, but Georgia Spray, founder of art buying platform Partnership Editions, says it doesn't require millions or deep knowledge of the art market. What you really need is confidence in your own taste and choices.
Build a Personal Collection
Spray advises that collecting should be an organic process, built slowly over time, not hinged on investment value or the need to fill wall spaces quickly. The process of discovery and learning involved in buying art is rewarding and important, and the enjoyment from collecting can match the enjoyment from the artwork itself.
Investing time in the discovery process before buying directly informs your ability to appreciate the work once purchased and displayed. Researching the artist and understanding their practice gives you more from owning the piece, and it's exciting to follow an artist's career while owning their work.
Discover Your Taste
Art choices say something about us, much like clothes or home design, and embracing that aspect can turn your collection into a storyboard of your life. The art you collect is subjective, and there are few definitive rights and wrongs. The most important thing is that you love the work.
Visiting galleries and museums is a great way to understand what you're drawn to aesthetically. Spray suggests pretending you have unlimited money to buy any artwork in the world and asking which works you would hang in your home. Be instinctive, don't think about value or artist fame, and take photos to spot trends in your choices.
Practical Steps to Start
Collecting postcards and prints is another way to experiment with works over time. Pin them in your workspace or on your fridge, move them around different rooms, and see how they change the mood. Allow yourself to be daring with postcards in a way you might be timid with an artwork.
Social media is a brilliant resource for starting a collection. Following favourite artists leads the algorithm to show other artists of interest. Follow artists at leading international art schools to discover up-and-coming talent, and start a saves folder with work that catches your eye, organising by themes or by room during a renovation.
Degree shows at art schools are usually free and open to all, offering a way to discover new talent and chat to artists directly. They often have affordable options like works on paper or prints. Spray says she has discovered loads of the Partnership Editions portfolio from degree shows and collected many works herself. How to Start an Art Collection by Georgia Spray is out now (Thames & Hudson, £35).
