Introduction
If you’re looking for Australian art, there are plenty of options. It’s not difficult to find a gallery that sells it, but the real challenge is picking out the best pieces from a sea of options. To help you do just that, here are some tips while you buy Australian art:
Best places to buy Australian art
Art galleries: The best place to buy Australian art is from an art gallery. These galleries often have great knowledge about the artists they represent, so you can get some helpful insight into who you should be looking out for.
Artists: Another good option is buying directly from artists themselves. Many artists will open their own studio spaces where you can see their work first-hand, talk with them about what they’re doing as an artist and how they want their work displayed (like if they want it framed or hung), as well as purchase pieces directly from them at affordable prices! You could skip this step entirely by attending art fairs like Artspace Melbourne, which showcase many emerging Australian artists all at once for easy browsing!
Auction houses: Finally, there are auction houses like Sotheby’s Australia, which offer artworks from both local and international artists alike! This means that even though your budget may not allow spending thousands on a single piece of artwork (which seems unreasonable), there are still plenty of options available depending on how much money you want or need to spend each month/year/decade etc.
Support emerging and indigenous artists
You may have heard the term “emerging artist” thrown around. This refers to a young or new artist whose work has not yet been validated by the art world and/or is not represented by a gallery. Many emerging artists are talented but don’t have access to galleries or collectors, which means their work can be hard to find and expensive if you do come across it. By supporting emerging artists, you can help them gain exposure and become more visible in the art world (and thus make their works more accessible).
Another group of artists that deserves your support is indigenous Australians. These artists often tell stories through their work that reflect important aspects of Aboriginal culture—a culture that’s currently under threat from encroaching development projects in Australia’s Outback regions. Indigenous Australian art is also great because it provides an alternative representation of Australian identity (as opposed to white European-style Western art), which is something I think all Australians should strive toward as we move forward into our multicultural future!
Be wary of cheap prints.
Beware of cheap prints. Art prints are the perfect gift because they’re affordable, but it’s important to know what you’re buying. The art world is notorious for reproducing an artist’s work without their permission—and often, these reproductions are sold cheaply and in bulk. So be wary if you see a $10 print that looks too good to be true.
The original artwork may not even exist anymore and could have been destroyed during World War II by the Nazis or damaged in transit by Australian customs officials sometime later on (this has happened!). A lower price doesn’t always mean that there wasn’t a lot of hard work put into producing it; sometimes, very little time goes into creating these replicas.
Conclusion
Most people love art, but it’s not always easy to find the right piece. After all, you have to consider your taste and budget. But if you’re looking for something special or unique, it’s worth taking some time to consider buying Australian art.