COLLECTING 101

How do I start building my art collection?

First and foremost, collect what you LOVE! It is your aesthetic appreciation which must take precedence over any other consideration. Then, learn and dedicate time to research. Ask a lot of questions and study the artists you are interested in. Go to art fairs, visit artist studios, talk to dealers, art advisers, curators, collectors, auction house representatives and art critics who offer invaluable perspectives on art. It is easy to become overwhelmed as you sort through the vast artscape both online and in person so commit to a few pieces and live with them before delving deeper. The art of collecting is a lifelong passion so take your time as the works you collect are an expression of who you are and may stay with your family for generations to come.

How do I build a strong collection?

Curate your collection. There are many resources and experts in the field available to assist you in curating the most cohesive collection. Collections are often stronger when built around a theme, whether that be a certain genre, building a collection around one or a few artist’s careers, one based around a certain time period (19th Century photography) or medium. Start thinking outside the box. Pay attention to the artist’s market, their history, the museums and galleries representing and showing their work, research auction results. Over time, you will notice your style emerge and if you like these results, continue on your path, otherwise, change direction.

What type of art is available in the marketplace?

Original Artwork: paintings, sculptures, mixed media, calligraphy, ceramics, conceptual, drawing, etching, folk, graphic, illustration, video, tapestry, photography, stained glass...the list goes on. With originals, it is important to realize that the artist will only profit once from the sale which is often why they command higher prices. With photography, vintage and blue chip works will also be set at significantly higher prices than later, modern prints.

There are a few different types of prints: Master Prints, Vintage Prints & Limited Edition Prints: Master prints are works made by the master artist (and sometimes his assistant/s). Vintage prints are works made within a few years of the negative date (i.e.). With limited edition prints, the artist limits the run of prints usually with a number indicated on the print itself, i.e. 1/25. This shows that the print run is limited. Artist Proofs (AP’s) are also usually included or added on to the edition number and is usually about 10% of the total print edition number and are often reserved for the artist to sell/donate at his or her discretion. Lastly, with editioned prints, some editions include all sizes, yet some are a multiple of sizes the artist prints. Photographers have a broad range of edition numbers, some works are unique prints and some going quite high into the hundreds, even thousands. Often, prices jump depending on the number sold within the edition. On the flip side, some do not increase as works sell and are open edition prints (Jerry Ueslmann, Ira Kahn). Edition number may or may not allude to the number of prints which have been sold - edition numbers really means nothing. Some photographs will create one-of-a-kind pieces even though the same negative is used - Julie Cockburn, for example, embroiders photographs, rendering each one unique. Reproductions: unlimited run of the artwork, which allows artists to sell as many as they like. Price point is much lower than one off originals and often editioned prints. Other types of prints include engravings, lithographs, screen prints, aquatints, linocuts and woodblock prints. These are an ideal way to start collecting but don’t expect the value to increase compared to blue chip and master works.

How are art prices decided?

Pricing artwork is not a science. Many factors can influence how a piece of art is priced – one of the most important of which is demand. The size, medium and condition of the piece can also influence the price, as well as how well known the artist and their work is. When working with artists and galleries, pay on time. Some galleries may be open to payment plans after you’ve worked with them but keeping your account in good standing will keep you on their good side. Many art dealers will also be your proxy bidder at auction so if there is a piece you are unable to view, let the trusted adviser be your eyes, ears, and wallet. Some auctions offer a fantastic opportunity to acquire high quality works at good prices but beware of the house premiums which can be as high as 25%. It is better to buy one fantastic artwork than five or ten mediocre. Don’t be afraid to invest in the right piece at the right time.

Acquiring art is often emotionally driven. It is, simply put, worth what someone is willing to pay. While values may often be related to the marketplace, in the long run an intangible, sometimes emotional factor such as your taste may be the driving factor. That said, quality, provenance and condition are important in determining valuation. For 19th and 20th Century work, condition in relation to age is of particular importance. Your objective as a collector is to find the finest example available of the image in which you are interested. Here, professional guidance and critical opinion in addition to a well-developed eye are very important. Looking at auction results can help however these account for only about 50% of the marketplace and often, don't take into account condition.

Should I buy art for investment purposes?

Collecting art with the intention of making a profit is one of the biggest mistakes collectors can make. The true value of acquiring art should come from the love of having a great work in your home. After that, the investment potential becomes incidental. Buying a piece of art as a financial investment is like rolling the dice as there are varying degrees of risk. It is important to track new artists, learn about established markets, understand market trends, know what makes up a visually “winning” image, but there is no secret recipe for success. Art has been shown to increase in value and outpace many commodities however keep in mind, this is the exception, and not the rule, usually pertaining to master works and artists with a given track record.

What should I look for in authenticating a piece of art?

The artist’s signature is usually inherent in the work produced. A signature alone is no guarantee of authenticity or quality. When in doubt, consult an expert having specific familiarity with the work under consideration and works should always be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. There are many variables to take into account when authenticating works including but not limited to dating techniques like black lighting, handwriting analysis, artist labels and stamps used throughout his or her career, provenance, collection and institution stamps (for exhibited works or ownership), original invoices and paperwork. In early photography, the tendency was for photographers to leave their work unsigned. Today, even though most photographers do sign their prints, it is the stature of the photographer and the quality of the print, rather than the signature, that establishes the value of a given work.

What do I do with all the paperwork?

Keep all the documentation that authenticates the artwork in a safe place. Also, keep any accompanying paperwork included during the time of the sale (past invoices, letters from the previous collector or artist, museum exhibition information, etc.). This cannot be stressed enough…provenance is a key element when authenticating and dating a piece, and, should you ever choose to resell a work, of paramount importance.

Where will they hang?

You must think about the effect the piece will have on the room/space. Every artwork has a huge effect on its surroundings. You can make paper cut-outs or make copy print outs of the art and hang them temporarily where they would hang on your wall. Give it a few days and see if you still feel the same way about the work in that given spot. There are many ways to frame (contact us for reputable framers in your area), and wall treatments (asymmetrical or symmetrical group hanging, art shelves, dramatic backdrop, grid format, group like-images, mix different mediums/objects, over a bookcase, in a bookcase, salon style, vertical line). We prefer to hang at gallery height which is about 58 inches on center (average eye level) but feel free to play with this height and go with what feels right for you. Once your collection grows, and have works which are not featured on your walls, you may need to think about climate controlled storage environments so please contact us for recommendations as well as recommendations for professional art installers and handlers in your area.

Why should I buy photographs?

As with any field that is new to you, your best source of information should be the best informed source you can find. Find a knowledgeable, reputable gallery, dealing in the finest and highest quality work available of the artists you're looking for. Art fairs can be a great resource as you can view many different galleries and their artist’s works and enhance your education while viewing a wide range of works in a relatively short period of time. Another great resource can be auction houses (listed below), benefit auctions and some private dealers. The important thing for you as a collector, is to find a dealer in whom you can place your trust and confidence and with whom you feel you can establish a good working relationship. Ask the dealer(s) you are thinking of working with “What will happen if I don’t want the piece in a few years.” He or she should either offer to take the work back on consignment, offer to purchase back the piece at the price you acquired it for, or assist in finding a market for the piece. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

What does the Weston Gallery offer the collector?

Since opening our doors in 1975, the Weston Gallery has emphasized and presented the finest masterworks of 19th and 20th century and contemporary photographers. The gallery is a world leader in the field and over the years has attained an unparalleled position of respect among its clientele. Our position of leadership is the result of many ingredients. We feel it is primarily due to our deep dedication to the medium of photography and our family legacy and tradition in the world of fine art photography. We have served as a source of information for many scholars, auction houses and researchers. We represent living photographers as well as prominent estates and present many exhibitions each year. We look forward to assisting you with acquisitions of the highest quality and depth. 

If you're going to invest in fine photography, you should be familiar with the terms...

Methods of Printing

In 1839, Frenchman, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre made the first successful form of photography. In collaboration with Nicéphore Niépce the two men found that if a copper plate coated with silver iodide was exposed to light in a camera, then fumed with mercury vapour and fixed (made permanent) by a solution of common salt, a permanent image would be formed. A great number of daguerreotypes, especially portraits, were made in the mid-19th century; the technique was supplanted by the wet collodion process. Almost simultaneously to Daguerre's announcement, William Henry Fox Talbot, an Englishman, announced the invention of a negative positive process which quickly gained precedence. As a result, reproducibility become on of photography's major assets. With the exception of the daguerreotype, most collectable photographs area made from negatives. In the earliest days, negatives were made on light-sensitive paper which was then waxed to make it transparent. By 1851, a method was found to produce a light-sensitive photographic emulsion on glass. This was the famous wet-plate process, in use until the 1880s when a newly discovered dry-plate process became prominent. Various sophisticated modifications of the dry-plate process culminated in the negative processes we are familiar with today. Collectors, however are more often concerned with printing rather than negative processes, for it is the print, itself, which is the collectable object of photography. The most common types of prints the collector is likely to encounter are salt prints, 1840s and 1850s (mostly made from paper negatives); albumen prints, 1850s to early 1900s (mostly made from wet-plate negatives); photogravures, 1880s to 1920s (mechanically made ink prints derived directly from original negatives) and silver gelatin prints, late 1880s to present. Another significant printing process is the platinum/palladium print. In use from about 1885 through 1936, it has been reintroduced by artists today as a highly expressive and emotive printing process. Digital pigment prints (aka archival digital prints), the use of cameras containing arrays of electronic photodetectors which captures imagery focused by a lens opposed to exposing the image on film and first built by Steven Sasson of Eastman Kodak in 1975.

Portfolios

In the past 20 years there has been a tendency for photographers to publish their work in the form of portfolios. These often include those prints which, in the photographer’s eyes, are representative examples of an idea or work spanning a given period of time. For the prospective collector these portfolios can present an attractive proposition in two ways. First, a portfolio allows the collector to obtain a body of a given photographer’s work all at one time; and secondly, a portfolio often offers the added advantage of a lower retail price than would be the case should the collector attempt to purchase the same or similar prints on an individual basis.

(© Looking at Photographs by John Szarkowski, © History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present by Beaumont Newhall)

Vintage & Modern Prints

The term “vintage print” usually refers to a print made by the photographer within a few years of the production of the negative. For the purposes of the collector, a vintage print will most often be of greater value than a non-vintage or modern print (a more recent print, perhaps even produced by someone other than the photographer). But the collector should bear in mind that many non-vintage prints are valuable, too, and should not be disregarded solely on the basis of the date of printing.

The photographer’s opinion of a print’s merit is obviously very important, but so too is informed, critical opinion. One should be carefully guided by both, seeking work which is the fullest realization of a particular image.

Limited & Unlimited Editions

Many would-be collector of fine photography often express concern with the issue of unlimited editions of a photograph decreasing the value of their investment. While it is true that photographers have rarely printed what we now call “limited editions,” it is equally true that most photographers (especially early ones) produced the fewest number of prints necessary to meet specific requirements-fewer in most cases than limited editions would have yielded. Many examples of fine 19th and 20th Century photography are therefore rare by definition, limited by the nature of demand, excluding numbered portfolio prints. Some collectable photographs that exist today are unique. In most other cases, images were produced only in numbers of 10 or perhaps 20. Even those images which were produced in numbers approaching 100 examples have suffered the ravages of time, have been lost by deterioration or neglect, or were discarded as unimportant ephemera. Indeed, historians are often astounded that within the estates of many past masters, so few examples of original prints exist as to make the question of limited editions a moot point. Some contemporary photographers have taken note of the concern about edition sizes and met this problem by strictly limiting the number of prints made of a given image, by announcing cut-off dates for printing certain images, or by refusing to print older negatives.