COVER STORY
DIY Gallery by Ron Fortier
As an artist, I’ve tried to seek out potential buyers and collectors, as I’m sure my fellow artists have. But the thing I soon realized was that you don't find them.
N
o, the collectors find you. An art collector is, as you may have thought, a person who collects works of art. But there’s so much more to it! According to a January 2018 article by Evan Beard (artsy.net/article/evanbeard-four-tribes-art-collectors), there are four kinds of art collectors. There’s the Connoisseur, the Enterprising Collector, the Aesthete, and the Trophy Hunter. The Connoisseur is motivated by the possibility of an intellectual discovery. Imagine finding a painting or a drawing that may be a missing link to a treasure trove of knowledge or a piece that wasn’t even known to exist? It’s the thrill of a lifetime! The Enterprising Collector is mostly interested in art as an asset. Their goal is to buy low when the artist is just emerging onto the scene and grab a lot of early work at bargain prices.
18
There are four kinds of art collectors. There’s the Connoisseur, the Enterprising Collector, the Aesthete, and the Trophy Hunter. The Aesthete is motivated by the visual experience and how the art “speaks to them” or, as Beard describes as, “an emotional extension of their being, separate from status or financial gain.” The Trophy Hunter, on the other hand, is all about possession. Specifically, possessing something no one else has, or the one thing everyone else wants. Evan Beard wrote, “I recently toured one of the great private art collections
March 2022 | The South Coast Insider
with its owner and was struck by how he described each painting. Forget composition or color. Each picture was an anthropology lesson in the hunt.”
Starting your own collection
Have you ever had an interest in collecting or just buying art? Was it the furthest thing from your mind until you were presented with an opportunity? Most individuals who buy art casually, do so when they can’t walk away from a piece because it reminds them of someone, a time, or a place. There’s an obvious emotional component to their attraction and purchase. Some buy art occasionally. Their purchases are a random or impulsive diversion. Many are just naturally curious about art, artists, and process, and regularly visit galleries. Buyers also frequent open studios and festivals because it’s readily available and free entertainment. Of course,
