British Travel Journal | Summer 2019

ASK THE EXPERT
Crackle Vine on Aluminium, Orlanda Broom
John Bratby, Venetian Backwater
currently lesser-valued artist will always
be a pleasure to live with and has the
potential to rise in value if the artist is rediscovered
by the market in the future.”
BE THOROUGH
Remember that condition is everything.
Always check the condition of a work and
make sure to research any conservation
or restoration work carried out. “Oils can
be cunningly restored but a reputable
dealer will point any problems out and
price accordingly. Damage on works on
paper, particularly prints, can seriously
affect their value,” says Hall.
As with most things, it’s important to
accept what you don’t know, and that
there are those with better knowledge,
insight and connections, who can help
take your passion for something and
turn it into an investment. Decide what
your objective is and choose the help
you need on this basis. If you are buying
purely for investment you need a good
advisor, and if you are buying a piece that
you love, which might eventually lead
to an investment, then go somewhere
like an online gallery or portal where the
selection process has been done for you
and then buy something you like. “Buy
from an agent, dealer or gallery you know
and trust, who has underpinning their
offering a good relationship with the
artists,” says Sara Ryan.
If possible, also buy from a dealer
who is a member of a recognised trade
organisation – LAPADA, CINOA, BADA
or SLAD are the best-known. “Much can
go wrong in buying work from smaller
auctions or unaccredited traders, there
can often be little or no come back in the
small print,” cautions Hall.
NEW NAMES
As you start to gain more confidence
in your investment, you may find your
interests expanding too. Supporting more
contemporary artists is a really interesting
way to develop your art knowledge, and
to help shape the market of the future. “I
love the fact that by investing in emerging
artists you are supporting them right at the
time they need it,” says Sara Ryan... “By
giving them their first endorsement you
are impacting the value of the piece you
have invested in. The artist is encouraged
to make more work, and other collectors
consider them to be collectible, and the
artist gains traction. It’s quite a compelling
combination of ethics meets upside.”
Of course, the most important thing
to remember, is that ‘a good investment’
comes in many guises. “We would all
like our assets to grow, but there is also
the benefit of living with something lifeenhancing
and beautiful,” says Robin
Light. “And being the guardian of a
painting or object, and looking after it for
a certain amount of time and passing it on
for the next generation to appreciate. We
must not forget that most art outlives all
of us.” u
ANGUS GRANLUND,
DIRECTOR, HEAD OF DAY
SALE, MODERN BRITISH ART,
CHRISTIE’S
When investing in art, whether starting a
collection or expanding one, it’s important
to buy from the heart.
î YOU SHOULD WANT TO LIVE
WITH THE WORK YOU BUY,
REGARDLESS OF ITS VALUE
It’s important to view exhibitions to discover
which works strike a chord with you. The Modern
British Art category covers a very broad and
eclectic period of creativity, spanning the 20th
century through to the YBA’s.
î THE FUTURE VALUE OF A WORK
IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT AND
CAN’T BE GUARANTEED.
Reputable artists like Henry Moore, Barbara
Hepworth and Ben Nicholson will hold their value
over time, while the market for less established
artists is prone to larger fluctuations. Keep an eye
on exhibitions at leading art institutions as these
can help promote an artist to a broader audience.
î AN ARTIST TO WATCH THIS YEAR
IS FRANK BOWLING.
He has a long-overdue retrospective at Tate
Britain from May to August, while Bridget Riley
is having a major retrospective in October at the
Hayward Gallery. We will be offering works by
both of these artists in our June sales.
DON'T MISS
May/June - ‘Sculpture in the Square’, an annual
exhibition of outdoor sculpture in St James’s
Square with large scale pieces from Henry
Moore, Elisabeth Frink and Barry Flanagan.
For more information visit christies.com
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