The Village NEWS 31 March - 20 April 2021

By Patrick Chapman

Art is easy to buy, difficult to sell. It is a discretionary purchase, not an essential like food, rent or school fees. The reasons why people buy art are myriad. I have found myself buying a piece at the opening of an exhibition, not because I didn’t want to live without it (the best reason!) but because I wanted to support the artist or the gallery; or simply to be seen as an art aficionado by the others present.

Now, if you are a regular buyer, you soon find your wall space running out; then some of the artworks which you rated as right for the private collection go into storage. This is not good! They should be seen and enjoyed. So some friends and I are putting on a pop-up gallery this Easter to redirect these selected, stored artworks into new hands.

The prices will be keen (from a few hundred Rand to max R10k) and each piece will have a story – the vital provenance which future owners will require. There will be minimal costs and no gallery overheads – just an opportunity for you to buy good art at a good price.

So if you are even vaguely susceptible to acquiring an artwork, whether as a gift, or for your own collection, or just because you can, now is the opportunity. Remember that investment is seldom a good reason to buy but it is nice to know that what you acquire should at least keep its value; and if it has passed through the hands of a knowledgeable local collector, it probably will.

Click on the link below to read more (see page 17).