Art, it's priceless at any price
By L.J. BUTTERFIELD :: December 25, 2006

Gallery Yellow in Cross River.

Buying art work for your home is one way to make an impact, imprint your personality and surround yourself with reflections of your own notion of beauty. So making a purchase, no matter how much you plan on spending, shouldn’t be intimidating since your own taste is your guide. No one can tell you what you like, but if you find someone in the art world to trust you can feel more confident about both the piece as well as the price.

With art there are two types of buyers, those looking for something to match their décor and those looking for a statement in color and composition that speaks to their soul.

Whichever one you are, here are some tips from local experts to help you navigate your way to that perfect purchase.

GALLERY YELLOW

First decide whether the work you’ve set out to buy is for investment or for enjoyment says Kia Talai of Gallery Yellow in Cross River, N.Y.

“If every morning you open your eyes and say ‘I love it,’ you’ve made the right choice.”
“What I want from art work is to be able to see the layers and strokes, touch it and smell the paint… otherwise I’d buy a poster,” he said.

Some potential buyers are interested only in pieces that match their décor, but even if color coordination is your main goal, Talai implores you to go to the gallery and experience the painting for yourself. Don’t just make a phone call outlining color and size.

"Night Cafe" by David A. Dunlop is currently showing at Gallery Yellow and sells for $5,000.

“You have to come to the gallery and look at the piece,” said Talai. “It’s not a car dealer, it’s art.” Gallery Yellow will even let you bring a painting home for 48 hours so you can sit with it in your environment and make sure it’s the right choice for you. If several paintings catch your eye Talai will suggest that you take a photo of the room and wall space where you plan on hanging your newly acquired masterpiece and then will superimpose your choices to the photo.   Most of all, don’t avoid galleries because you feel guilty just browsing around. Gallery owners are more understanding than you think.

Most of all, don’t avoid galleries because you feel guilty just browsing around. Gallery owners are more understanding than you think.

“It’s a gallery, don’t be intimidated,” he says. Spend time walking through the space and don’t feel pressured that you’re spending too much time without necessarily purchasing anything. Visit each painting more than once.

“Art is like music,” said Talai. “When you listen over and over you hear something different every time. Everyday I always see something different. If it’s good art, it does that.”

Gallery Yellow specializes in contemporary but modern art and showcases nine to 15 artists each show. Talai hopes to introduce contemporary art to the area and to showcase how it can work in a traditional environment that is typical of homes in Westchester and Fairfield counties. He is thrilled to be at his location in Yellow Monkey Village because there are so many accomplished artists in the surrounding area.

"Roofscape" by Tora Snyder currently showing at Gallery Yellow and sells for $7,800.

“We’re trying to support area artists as much as we can by bringing in artists within a 20 mile radius,” said Talai.

What Gallery Yellow’s buyers are asking:

What kind of material does the artist paint on? (canvas, wood, metal, etc…)
What kind of paint do they use? (oil, acrylic, etc…)
What is the artist’s education, experience?
What about the artist’s previous shows, how often and where is the work shown?

"Chapel at Artemino" by Michael Zack sells for $1,800.

QUESTER GALLERY Quester Gallery on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Conn., draws buyers interested in marine art and collectors looking for great investment pieces with paintings that sell from between $10,000 and $500-$800,000.   “From my perspective it’s good to become friendly with art dealers,” said Michael H. Florio, partner at Quester Gallery. “But you have to find someone you can trust.” A good art dealer will not only try to sell investment pieces by already well-established artists but will tell you who is up and coming and what would be a good deal to buy right now.

“Values tend to be abstract in a way,” said Florio. “Some artists have
well-established markets with a following but there could be a great artist that’s new to the market.”

“It’s also important to work with a specialist (in the type of art you’re interested in),” said Florio who specializes in marine art from the 17th century to the present with the bulk of his paintings originating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

"Roofscape" by Tora Snyder sells for $4,200.

Even the most highly acclaimed artists can produce pieces that range in quality. “There could be an artist that’s been working for 30 (or) 40 years and a dealer that is familiar with the work can tell you what the better works are.” When buying investment pieces, sometimes the history and preservation of the painting is as important as the piece itself. “It’s really important that the condition is excellent,” said Florio. “Also, what families the antique painting has come from could add more interest. It is important that the dealer can guarantee a clean title. We guaranty title, authorship and condition in writing. This can be rare but it’s a nice comfort.”   What Quester Gallery’s buyers are asking: Is this a good investment piece? How is the artist doing in the market?