The art world has its own pulse, an energy which savvy followers learn to recognise. Like any market, there are both patterns and surprises. This guide will share them and give you insights on what to expect.
Most of us want art we love first. That’s the main thing. If it happens to go up in value, then great. But how does that happen?
Or put simply, can you find both art you love, and that has a good chance to increase in value?
This guide gives a clear, no-nonsense summary of how it works. Yes, every year we hear about people flipping art for 10x, 20x and more, after a short time. That's gambling, essentially, with a bit of luck. That's not this guide.
This guide covers the concepts used by thousands of people to make a living in the art world. There are reliable variables which impact a work of art's likelihood of increasing in value. It's not as mysterious as people outside the art world seem to think. That's what this guide teaches.
I only recommend buying art you love, first and foremost, but you can do so with financial promise.
I was having coffee with James Sevier, head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s at the time (now Chairman), and I couldn’t help but ask, “What is your go-to advice to clients for investing in art?” And he replied, “Only buy pieces you love, and you’ll never go wrong.”
The beauty of collecting art is not the money. It’s the story behind the piece, the legacy of that narrative, and the private joy of tapping into a Zeitgeist in human culture. When the work increases in value, that just adds yet another layer of joy.
Still, would you prefer your art to be an asset or an expense? Whilst every investment can go up or down, without knowing how it works, most art only has lottery-winning odds to increase in value.
But the fact is that art has been a great investment for many, many people.
My parents forbade me from having a career in the arts, so I trained as an engineer at uni. That training taught me to break things down. To look for the common denominators in things. That’s the approach I share.
It's about understanding both art, and the patterns of the art world.