I have been to a small handful of art galleries and exhibitions around the world, from London’s V&A museum, to the Louvre in Paris, to small yet inspiring local galleries from the Midlandsto Dullstroom to Hartebeespoort Dam. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned through my experiences, is that the sum total of art is not just paintings.
Chatting to a local artist who specialises in 3-dimensional artwork, Rinat Goldstuck, I loved her answer to my question: Is art just paintings? “Painting is definitely a very popular form of art, but art in its essence is an expression of the soul. It is the birthing of inspiration, creativity, passion and often pain that the artist brings into being. Art is also often based on the artist being inspired, and the viewer gets to share the inspiration when seeing the art work.”
Art can be extended to many forms of creative output – from murano glass vases, to repurposed items like cutlery that are turned into jewellery, to bronze sculptures. The expanse of creativity that is being injected into art is phenomenal – for example, a visit to the JDA headquarters in Johannesburg city central a couple of weeks ago, revealed a “painting” of the Jo’burg city skyline done completely in beads: a style of artwork taken from the streets and turned into something amazing that would now be bought as an investment.
Investment in art
It is often said that art is one of the best investments one can make, as popular art grows in value over time (check the value of that funny painting in your lounge that has a squiggle in the corner that looks something like Van gogh). Rinat gives a couple of tips on how to go about choosing the right pieces to invest in:
- First and foremost, the buyer should love and want to live with and enjoy this piece of art for many years to come. Every time one looks at the piece you should always see something new – be it visually, intellectually or emotionally.
- Art can be a focal point in any room of the house – remember that it is not necessary and not advisable to match your artwork to your decor scheme. Rather concentrate on building up a varied collection that expresses your own taste and has a possibility to be an investment.
What is the price-point?
This is an impossible question to answer. Because art is so personal and individual, investing in a piece that costs R300 but is handed down over generations of your family as an heirloom, is just as valuable as a piece that costs R300 000. For resale purposes, one obviously needs to weigh up the talent and skill of an artist, and his or her forecast growth in public popularity going forward. The best places to look include art galleries that do showings of upcoming talent; as well as keeping an eye on the Internet for artists’ own websites. Art and décor magazines often offer good guidance; and you can never go wrong listening to advice from gallery owners, collectors, decor specialists and art-focused designers.
And other art?
As a writer, I see the works of writers and poets over the ages as works of art. My complete collection of Shakespeare’s works, to me, is an incredible and valuable work of art in itself. Yet another individual may consider a signed and framed shirt from a famous sports star as a piece of art, which certainly would appreciate over time.
One may even consider some forms of art to carry greater value in certain circles, for example a bottle of hand-crafted, limited edition, cabernet sauvignon may be sold for hundreds of rands in the wine-appreciation community, and appreciate over time and age to reach a value of thousands.
The definitions of art are limitless, very forgiving, and very personal. It all depends on its value to you as an individual, and how it captures a part of your inner inspiration, translated into something that is beautiful to you. To paraphrase something that Rinat said: “The end product…draws the viewer in toward an enchanting and magical reality.”
Word on the street
Last week I was privileged to do a walk through some of Johannesburg’s inner city streets surrounding Newtown, and in this walk I was exposed to pillar after post of graffiti. Far from being the carefree and often malicious scribblings of ne’er-do-wells, I realised that graffiti is better described as street art, and most often encapsulates poignant reflections of our society – from politics, to repression, to messages of hope and an achievement of a synergy of cultures that we are still trying to realise in daily living.
Grafitti artists like Faith47, Tapz, Rasty, Angel – just a few of the names I recall – capture images that tell stories, or speak of moments in their past experiences, that are monumental revelations of inner inspiration.
I emphatically believe that these expressions are a form of art, and as paintings and sculptures adorn the walls of our suburban homes – an asset investment – so does street art adorn the walls of our urban homes – cities around the world – which I believe, are investments in the preservation of our individual and collective histories.
With thanks to Rinat Goldstuck and Past Experiences
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