Selecting art for your home can be an exhilarating journey that can last a lifetime. Keys to success pivot around finding out what kind of art you enjoy, understanding how it will fit into your home and complement your décor, as well as knowing how to exhibit it to its fullest potential.
Something that resonates with you
Finding out what kind of art you like is the first step to take when selecting art for your home. This can be done by viewing as much art as you can before deciding on anything. Visit art exhibitions, art fairs, flea markets and art galleries; page through books and magazines; or research various art on the Internet, which offers the largest variety of artwork worldwide. By doing this, your understanding of what appeals to you will gradually start to evolve, and the more art you look at, the more acute and developed your understanding of your likes and dislikes will become.
Student art
For those operating on a tighter budget, visit the State of the Art website (www.StateoftheArt.co.za) – a new web-based company offering graduate and student art at affordable prices. “We’re aiming at people who wouldn’t normally go into an art gallery,” says Jennifer Reynolds, the founder of www.StateoftheArt.co.za.
The website is a new Cape Town-based business that sells the best artwork created by students and recent graduates over the Internet, explains Reynolds. “My website gives students and recent graduates a platform from which to launch their careers. Very few students get represented by a gallery when they leave university or art college – but they’re still producing good work, but they often can’t find anywhere to show it. The State of the Art website is somewhere you can go year-round to buy unique contemporary art much easier than you could in a gallery.”
The site currently features around 10 artists, but more are being recruited. “It’s quite competitive, if it doesn’t sell, it won’t stay on the site,” she says.
Although Jennifer is based in Cape Town, the site covers universities and colleges throughout South Africa. Visitors to the site can browse by genre, artist, price or university/college, and have art delivered to their doorstep. With prices starting from as little as R160, owning a piece or beginning a collection of original artwork by South Africa’s most talented emerging artists is not only an exciting prospect, but could be a shrewd investment further down the line.
Art that complements its surrounds
When choosing art for a particular space, the most important criteria are size, colour and style:
Size: Essentially, it is all about proportion - art that is too large for a space will overwhelm, while pieces that are too small, will be lost. Traditionally, the bolder the piece, the more room it will need to breathe.
Colour: When selecting art to match a particular colour palette, it is essential to select one or two of the boldest colours featured throughout the room’s décor, and look for art that features shades of those colours in it. Alternatively, selecting art with muted colours, black-and-white art or art that has been framed in neutral colours, will go in practically any environment.
Style: Style is an important consideration - if your decor is filled with antiques, for example, you’ll want to frame your art in corresponding antique-style frames. If you have contemporary furniture in large rooms with high ceilings, you’ll want to hang large contemporary paintings in the space.
Art-friendly spaces
There are a number of ways to create an art-friendly room - the most important being lighting. Natural lighting is very important, but direct sunlight can ruin the piece, which makes artificial lighting crucial. If you shine light directly on to your artwork, you will undoubtedly highlight its details and beauty.
Creating interior spaces that show art off to their best advantage is also important. Areas that are not over cluttered or crowded are best – try play down other elements within the room, such as window dressings, carpeting, wall coverings and even furniture, in order to make the art the centre of attention. – Antonella Desi
Pictures courtesy of:
State of the Art: www.stateoftheart.co.za
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