First-Time Buyers

1. Do not rush into buying unless it is a painting that you have been looking for a long time and you are fully sure of its value and authenticity.
2. Ask questions about the artist and the painting’s provenance if any.
3. See as many paintings as possible. Museums and fine art fairs are reliable places to view good quality artworks.
4. If you are buying paintings as investments, make time to research on the artists and their works. Fine art auctions can be used as an indication of demand and supply, and provide good resources to learn about the type of artists whose works are sought by collectors and investors.
5. If you are buying paintings to beautify your home or office, look for aesthetics, environmental harmony and perennial values. Good paintings should be able to last very long and stay pleasurable even if you change interiors or move places.

Art Value

There is a perception that it is better to invest in old or dead artists’ works. It may not be true today as the works of outstanding living artists are increasingly being sought after and the value of their paintings continues to rise. Art awareness and patronage have developed a vibrant marketplace for high quality avant-garde artistic creations around the world. The value of an artwork is very subjective and depends on demand and supply.

Art Definitions

Painting taken literally is the practice of applying colour to a surface such as paper, canvas or wood. However, when used in an artistic sense, the term "painting" refers to the activity whereby creativity and techniques are used in combination to communicate the expressive and conceptual intention of the artist. The painting is therefore the visible result of art, which gives us visual arts.

The term contemporary art refers to visual arts being practiced in the present day and defined as the period from the late 1960s into the 21st century. Contemporary art can also be understood as post-modern art whereby modern art refers to art from late 19th century to contemporary era. Whereas pre-contemporary art focussed more on creativity and techniques, today's art is more about cultural and society representations. The artists' ideas, experiences, and observations become more interesting and appealing than how skilfully the art is produced. The value of contemporary art thus lies in the strength of its representation such as the socio-cultural, political-economic and environmental issues that reflects the world we live in and invokes our inner-most emotions.

Asian Art

Most art books and material discussing art, such as history and movements, refers to the Western world and for most part mainly to Europe. Asian art, particularly China, Japan, India and the Far East, is less exposed to the world than Western art even though historically, they are comparable. With the rise of China and India as the new super-economies, and a booming Asia, contemporary Asian art is likely to enjoy the new global uptrend and makes its influence in world art markets.

Fine Art Prints

To many people, prints are associated with large quantity commercial reproduction of original artworks in the form of posters or cards. A reproduced print is photo-mechanically produced and not created by the artist. When you look at a reproduction, it is merely a flat graphical imitation of an original artwork without any texture or dimension and therefore void of an artist’s touch.

On the other hand, fine art prints are created as original artworks by an artist using various print techniques such as lithography, intaglio, etching and silk-screening. The end results are distinctive and unique. Usually within the confines of a limited edition, the artist conceives and executes his work specifically in the context of one or more hand-produced techniques. Each of the works is created either by the artist or under his/her direct supervision by a master printmaker. A fine art print is therefore regarded as an original artwork.

For Free Art Appreciation Talks in Singapore, please email joan@marpinsol.com