MEDIA ALERT AUGUST 2015
ART COLLECTING 101: 10 HOT TIPS FOR NEW COLLECTORS Go Global Art – uniting cultures through art It is common for art lovers to come to a point in their lives when their tastes become too developed for posters and IKEA prints. Unfortunately, much of the original fine art on offer in their local gallery may be well beyond their budget – at least at the beginning. However, there are many routes to owning original artwork which is also affordable. It takes a little bit of knowledge, a touch of techsavvy and a lot of confidence to feel ready for that first purchase! What you are looking for is a piece of artwork – and, eventually, a collection – that reflects your personality, lifestyle, cultural taste and budget, as well as being something you can see yourself with for years to come. Here are our tips for getting started…and in no time you will have a collection to be proud of! 1. DON’T RUSH IT Start slow and small. Don’t rush into large purchases immediately, both in terms of cost and size. You don’t want to end up with a room overpowered by a huge artwork that isn’t quite ‘you’. Instead, think carefully about styles, colours and media you prefer – this may be, for example, photography or illustration – and be clear about how much you are willing to spend. You might also buy one or two small pieces before committing to a major purchase. 2. DO YOUR RESEARCH Use online resources. There are a variety of platforms which are usually navigable by price, style or media, so if you also have a budget in mind you will have considerably narrowed down the myriad options available on the Internet. Go Global Art is one online art gallery that specialises in handselected artworks from emerging artists around the world; artwork which is reflective of the country and culture within which it was created, whereas other sites may be more geared to providing volume, or categorising by colour, price or media. Research artists from countries that you like or have travelled to. As well as a nice memento of your travels, many countries have talented artists and you can aquire great artwork at very reasonable prices. Don’t feel intimidated about visiting an art fair and don’t be afraid to spend some time reading art blogs and specialist publications. 3. BUY FROM A REPUTABLE SOURCE Most online platforms will be fairly reliable when it comes to authenticity, but it’s worth finding out from your friends whether they know of a particular site or have bought from them in the past. Read all the information that is provided about the artwork and be sure of whether you are buying an original work or a print. If in doubt, find a contact email address and do not be afraid to ask questions. No question is too trivial when it comes to making a purchase and your seller should be more than happy to assist a potential new client. If you feel more comfortable starting with prints, make sure you are buying something that is limited edition – it is important to know the difference between ‘wall art’ and ‘fine art’. Wall art is an open edition poster, often made by a manufacturer, rather than by an artist. A fine artist will always sign and number a limited edition print, ensuring that the work retains its value over time. 4. KNOW YOUR TASTE Trust your instincts and don't let others influence your taste too much. Don’t feel pressured to buy something, either by a knowledgeable friend or a seller – you are likely to know intrinsically what you Go Global Art | tani@goglobalart.com | www.goglobalart.com
MEDIA ALERT AUGUST 2015
feel about a particular artwork as soon as you see it. Any artwork you purchase will become a central part of your home and so must reflect your own personal style. Remember, art is just like food and music, everyone’s everyone’s tastes are unique and you are the best judge of what you like. 5. MAKE A STATEMENT Don’t be afraid to be edgy in your choices and remember that it is you who is living with it – not your friends and relatives. To have an opinion about what you like is a fantastic start to collecting, and at the very least, it will be a powerful conversation starter! 6. GET TO KNOW THE ARTIST Learn all you can about the artwork and the artists that you like as you will appreciate your art more if you know the story behind the work. If you are particularly interested in one artist and they have a studio local to you, arrange for a studio visit. Artists are generally more than happy to give you an insight into their working practices, and you may even find other works you like which are not advertised elsewhere. Most importantly, you will be able to build a relationship with an artist whose career you support, something which will be valued immeasurably by both yourself and the artist in future. 7. WHERE IS IT GOING? You’ll probably have an area or wall in mind before you start looking for suitable artwork, but be sure to do the basics and be clear about where and how you plan to hang it. Measure the wall space and that of surrounding objects. If you plan to hang an artwork above a mantelpiece, for example, it may be worth measuring its width, and know whether you want the artwork to be wider or narrower. As well as logistical considerations, think carefully about the colour scheme and mood in a room – and decide whether you want an artwork to sit in harmony with this, or to stand out. 8. BUY FRAMED / READY TO HANG ARTWORK Buy framed artwork whenever you can. Most artists will be able to recommend framers and many online sales platforms will have options to purchase framed or unframed. If this is not the case, make sure you have your artwork professionally framed as soon as possible. Unframed artwork tends to languish in cupboards for months, even years. When choosing a frame, trust your taste. When in doubt, keep it simple – a clean white frame is always a good fall back. 9. HANGING YOUR ARTWORK Sometimes, it may be more than just a case of banging in a nail with a hammer. Heavy artworks in particular must be hung with great care, using specialist fittings. If you are hanging artwork in a location involving exact measurements it may also be worth hiring a specialist art handler for a couple of hours to get it just right. Artwork hung slightly off-centre will be a constant frustration. 10. SUPPORT EMERGING ARTISTS AND EMERGING MARKETS Not only will you be more likely to build a relationship with an artist in their emerging stages, but if you buy early it is more likely that one day an artwork will increase in value. Look for an artist that has exhibited outside of their country of origin or who has had solo or group exhibitions in the art capitals of New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong or London. Look at their exhibition record over the years to evaluate whether the artist is likely to continue on their path and grow in reputation. But don’t be guided by this alone! Unless you are in the business of selling art, remember that while 75% of people purchase art for the value potential, 93% purchase art for the emotional benefit, because they love it and want to enjoy it for a lifetime. Happy collecting! *** Go Global Art | tani@goglobalart.com | www.goglobalart.com
MEDIA ALERT AUGUST 2015
MEDIA ENQUIRIES For further information on the business or artists, interviews or images please contact Tani Burns: T: 0207 377 5665 M: 07888 731 419 E: tani@goglobalart.com W: www.goglobalart.com
ABOUT THE FOUNDER: ANDREA CHUNG Andrea Chung is an award-winning entrepreneur and, most recently, Founder of Go Global Art, an online platform targeting a new generation of art collectors and delivering affordable contemporary art from countries around the world. Born in Scotland, Andrea has lived and worked in Europe, America and the Caribbean. In addition to working 9-5 as a structural engineer and then as a business executive, she developed a love for entrepreneurship. Over the past ten years, she has started up and successfully operated a bookstore and cafÊ, a management consultancy business and a dating service. She is a third-generation businesswoman, following in the footsteps of her grandmother and parents who have all owned businesses in retail, furniture manufacturing, food services, car rental and carpets – a broad spectrum of successful businesses which were an inspiration for her own ventures. Prior to launching Go Global Art in 2014, Andrea worked for Digicel, an Irish telecommunications company headquartered in Jamaica, where she was responsible for implementing a multi-million dollar business process improvement project which focused on operational efficiencies, streamlining business processes and people development. She was also responsible for the culture, wellbeing and development of over 1000 employees. Furthermore, Andrea worked for over fifteen years in structural engineering and project management, with experience including the design and implementation of various engineering projects in the United States and the development over 90 low-income housing projects in Jamaica.
EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS Stanford Graduate School of Business University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Georgia Tech in Atlanta University of Toulon
Executive Education in Finance MA Science in Structural Engineering BA Civil & Environmental Engineering French Business and Economic Language
Professional Engineering License acquired in the United States. Languages: English, Spanish, French
BOARDS Andrea Chung has served on several boards, including: The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) The Public Health Committee, Jamaica The National Land Agency of Jamaica
AWARDS During her career Andrea Chung has been recognised with several awards, including: Minority Engineer of the Year in Florida UNIA Business of the Year (for Bookophilia Jamaica) NCB Nationbuilder Startup of the Year (for Bookophilia Jamaica) Go Global Art | tani@goglobalart.com | www.goglobalart.com