How to Buy Art as a Couple
Posted in The Art-Isms by Daniel Rolnik on 12th October 2016
As always Rise Art is here to help you navigate the art world one step at a time, and today’s lesson could just save your relationship, keeping your home art filled and happy.
Tell us how you successfully navigated buying art as a couple and WIN a free art therapy session in the form of a consultation with our curator and a £250 voucher to spend on Rise Art. Head over to Instagram, tag us (@riseart_) and be sure to use the hashtag #ArtWillKeepUsTogether. Post an image or leave a comment to enter - the best one will win!
Artwork by Luis Medina Manso
When Couples Disagree - 5 Ways To Keep Love Alive When Buying Art
Any gallery will tell you that the hardest sale to make is when a couple walks in and one likes a piece and the other doesn’t. It’s just a real pleasure killer because you lose a sale and you have to watch a couple disagree. But what if there was another way? Let’s examine the scenario.
1 Buy Small to Stay Hugely in Love
All people have different styles and choices and often couples will have long diatribes about what goes on their wall. After all, they’ve got to look at it everyday so it’s got to appease both parties. My advice is to stay small with your art choices. This will cause a lot of ease in a relationship since small works don’t take up a lot of wall space and micro pieces can even just lay on table tops so you can move it around, or even just keep it in a drawer if your spouse doesn’t like it (you can have private time with it later). With salon hanging in style and tiny houses all the rage, going small is the way. Utilizing the mantra “Buy small to stay HUGELY in love” shall be the new key thing.
Love is a Dog from Hell - the Horny Corny Obsessive Series (Amour Fou)
2 Go in With Intention
However, if you do decide to buy a big painting, go into a space with an intention, rather than just perusing around. Come up with what you’re looking for. Something with tones and colors and subject matters that represent your relationship, and come up with a budget of what you can spend. Remember to give yourself some wiggle room because what you want to spend will usually be too low for something great and who knows, a work of art could turn into an investment for your future.
3 Set the Rules
It also helps to come up with rules for what you’ll buy. That way when you see something that fits your rules you can just go ahead and get it. If roses and landscapes are fair game than go out and buy a plein air painting, but if colorful abstract is the thing then go after that. You’ll be so happy, you’ll thank me for years to come.
4 Be A Team
At the end of the day, a couple is a team, and you’ll have to work together to find something you like. So dudes don’t be grumpy at your ladies for wanting pink. And ladies don’t think your dude is a perv for wanting a nice nude on the wall. And dudes don’t get mad at your dude if he only wants Star Wars characters. And ladies don’t get mad at your lady if she only wants abstract colourfield paintings. And…[insert all gender stereotypes here].
5 Don’t Be a Wuss and Get Something From Ikea
The one thing I want you to do is to commit right now to buying an original work of art. Don’t be a wuss and get something from Ikea. When you buy a painting from Ikea or some chain brand you’re supporting a machine. When you buy original art from a gallery you are supporting your neighbourhood, or a neighbourhood, a family, a person, a being, your brother, sister, mother, father, and all that jazz. You are actually doing good for the world when you buy original art. At the very least you’re making the world a happier place to live in. Prints and editions are bad for the environment.
Daniel’s TOP PICKS for couples
Tell us how you successfully navigated buying art as a couple and WIN a free art therapy session in the form of a consultation with our curator and a £250 voucher to spend on Rise Art. Head over to Instagram, like us, tag us (@riseart_) and be sure to use the hashtag #ArtWillKeepUsTogether.
Post an image or leave a comment to enter - the best one will win!
Artwork by Luis Medina Manso
About The Author
Daniel Rolnik
Daniel Rolnik is a mad scientist. As the world's most adorable art critic he's travelled the globe;…
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