Buying Art is Intimidating

Buying art is intimidating.

We all know that feeling too well. You're standing in a museum, staring at a painting you're not entirely sure you understand... while subtly, out of the corner of your eye, you look to see if everyone else is equally as confused.

Am I supposed to like this? Why does that guy seem like he knows something I don't? Am I uncultured...? I'm an absolute loser that knows nothing. 

Fuck those beret-wearing, goatee-dripping, pompous assholes. You don't need to understand art to love it. And you certainly don’t need a degree in art history to buy it. In fact, art is supposed to make you uncomfortable. It’s supposed to make you pause. Look closer... ask questions. Look inward. Sometimes it should even make you think, what the fuck?

That’s the point.

So when it comes to bringing art into your home, forget the idea that you need to find the “right” piece... or something that perfectly coordinates with your sofa. Please, no. 

We bring art into our homes to make us feel something. Maybe it makes you laugh. Maybe it makes you think... Maybe it reminds you of somewhere you’ve been, someone you love, or a version of yourself you haven’t seen in a while. Maybe you simply love looking at it.

Okay enough; let's get to the important part: how to actually buy the damn art...

Travel.

Some of the best things I've found for my own home weren't acquired by sitting on the internet searching art for living room. Get out into the world. Visit galleries during design week... wander into one when you have absolutely no intention of buying anything. Go to artist studios, antique and flea markets, vintage stores and little shops you stumble upon while traveling. Buy something because you found it somewhere interesting. Then every time you look at it, you remember the trip. That's the good stuff.

Remember: not everything has to be “art."

Frame the silly letter your husband wrote you when you were dating. Frame your son's drawing. Frame an old family photograph or a matchbook from a restaurant you loved... there is something incredibly chic about putting something deeply personal on the wall. No Warhol is better than that.

And finally, buy the thing you can't stop thinking about.

Not what you think you should like... not what matches the sofa. Not what someone with a very serious Instagram account told you is important. If you keep looking at it... there’s probably a reason. Good. You don't need to explain your taste. You just need to have some. And if you find something you love? Buy it. Your home should be filled with things that make you feel something - not things you bought because you thought you were supposed to.