Decorating with Contemporary Art
I was connected to Maria Brito recently and thought she would be an ideal
GOOP editor. I personally have so many questions about collecting
contemporary art and this is Maria's business—advising her clients on how to
start an inspiring and affordable collection. Below, you will find all of her tips
and great hook ups for GOOP readers.
And, as an aside, I interviewed the great contemporary artist Ellsworth Kelly
for Interview Magazine out this month, which was a real high point for me. He
is an artist who has been inspiring me since I was a kid. It was an honor. There
is a little excerpt and a link to the interview below.
Love,
gp
From Maria Brito:
“I love creating rooms that are aesthetically compelling, some of them with an
edge, some of them a bit more traditional, most of them with color (either a lot
or with a good amount of accents) but all of them with some form of
contemporary art (roughly anything created between 1947 and today.)
Contemporary art is the art of our times and the art that reflects who we are
individually and as a society. It engages the eye and the mind and can open
doors and windows to places as remote as Kyoto or as close as Brooklyn. It
should not be difficult to live with such an engaging and interesting form of
expression, and yet, as an interior designer and a collector myself, I see that not
enough people are enjoying the opportunity to live with art.
It's my mission to demystify the world of contemporary art and interior design
and marry them both in a way that is attainable (and irresistible).”
How to Buy Art
“The contemporary art market is simply humongous. Historically, people have
been overwhelmed and terrified by the idea of buying art for a variety of
reasons. People associate the word ‘art’ with what's in museums and have
pigeonholed the whole notion as too ‘highbrow.’ Not to mention that in the
past ten to fifteen years, the auction houses have publicly reported
astronomical figures every time they close a contemporary art auction, so a lot
of people think that those are the average prices. Finally, there is the
misconception that galleries are impenetrable by the average layperson or by
those who aren't wealthy. These are all myths that are simply untrue.
1. Get an art education ...
The best place to start buying art, to obtain a good foundation and education,
and develop an understanding for why you fall in love with specific artworks,
are definitely the local galleries, in particular those that have a program for
artists and represent them exclusively in their city.
If you are unsure of your tastes and preferences, art fairs are also an excellent
source to see a lot of contemporary art, take a crash course in visuals and do
some price research. They have proliferated so much that there seems to be a
new one in every corner of the world. They are generally crowded, nonjudgmental places where people can browse comfortably without being
intimidated by the empty hallways and rooms of a gallery.
The mother of all the art fairs is Art Basel in Switzerland, followed by her
younger sister, the Miami Beach version. The galleries are all top-notch, the
standards to qualify as an exhibitor are the highest, and honestly, it can be a lot
of fun and everybody who attends can browse and hang out for hours (or days
like I do) and find new and old talents in all sorts of price ranges and from all
over the world. Frieze, Scope, Pulse, Red Dot and the Affordable Art Fair are
also great fairs that occur throughout the year in different cities such as NYC,
London, Berlin, Singapore and Miami.
2. Know your tastes ...
People willing to start buying and living with art usually know their own tastes:
is it photography and the boldness and neatness that it conveys? Is it the
mystery of having an abstract piece completely open to a thousand
interpretations? Is it art with a political context? Or what if someone gravitates
time and again toward bright pop-style neons?
3. Do your research ...
For your first acquisition, stick to what you love and don't just make a random
purchase; get sufficient information on the artist and the gallery.
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Has the artist won prizes?
Been invited to biennials?
Represented by a top notch gallery?
Pay attention and learn as much as you can before committing to a piece.
Note: Avoid auction houses (at least if it's your first time)
For people who are just getting their feet wet, auction houses are not good
places to buy art. To start with, buyers have to pay premiums. The adrenaline
rush that may come along with wanting to win may push you to pay more than
you can afford. Most importantly, the education you get from buying art
through galleries or consultants is truly invaluable.
There are three other important factors to think about when starting a
collection (and don't be scared by the word "collection;" anybody with more
than one piece of artwork has already started a collection):
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Pay attention to the artist's career
Obviously emerging artists (not necessarily young but generally in the
first five years of his or her career) have artworks with price points that
are lower than those who are mid-career or established.
Consider the medium:
Prints, editions and photography are more accessible than originals.
There are cases, for example, where mid-career or established artists
who usually work with oil or acrylic or mixed media on canvas decide to
release a limited edition of prints that are a fraction of what the originals
would cost. I love prints and photography and recommend them to a lot
to my clients because you can get large, graphic works without breaking
the bank.
Note: Whenever possible, buy limited editions rather than open editions.
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Size is key!
In the world of contemporary art, bigger is usually better. I will always
favor buying a larger piece because of the impact it can make, turning a
room from ‘blah’ to ‘wow!’”
Where to buy art
“The newest and probably one of the easiest ways to buy art these days is
through online galleries or websites that are revolutionizing the way art is sold
and collected. My favorite sources (along with some coupons available for
Goop readers) are the following:
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Artspace: www.artspace.com is an extraordinary website for those who
want to start collecting seriously at a very reasonable price point.
Artspace offers mostly limited edition prints and photography all from
very reputable artists and big names from the contemporary art world
ranging from Takashi Murakami to Nick Cave. Artspace has partnered
with some of the best galleries and museums in the world to be able to
bring this amazing selection to new and seasoned collectors who can't
resist the prices and the amazing art that they are reviving and reprinting
from museum archives. Click here www.artspace.com/goop to receive
$50 off your first purchase and to be automatically entered to win a trip
for two to Art Basel Miami Beach!
These photographs by Thomas Birke (above) and Sara Jessica Wilson,
were Gwyneth's favorites from purephoto.com
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PurePhoto: www.purephoto.com is a fantastic website perfect for
photography lovers. It has all sorts of different images coming from
artists who are either emerging or mid-career. The prices are unbeatable
and the variety is amazing. I have been hooked from the day I
discovered them! Type in GOOP10 at checkout for a 10% discount off
the retail price; it applies to every purchase you make and is valid until
November 15.
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KiptonArt: www.kiptonart.com is the pioneer of online art sales. The
site has been around for six years and aggregates more than 1,800 artists
with more than 10,600 artworks from all over the world. It offers works
in 13 different media ranging from sculpture to video art to acrylic on
wood and everything in between. Check out this special page that
KiptonArt's founder curated for Goop readers with beautiful and
colorful artworks that also have 10% off:
http://www.kiptonart.com/interior-design-studio/kiptoncronkite/73859/
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Artsicle: www.artsicle.com is super cool and focuses on the works of
emerging artists in the NYC area. They can help you get art on loan and
even help you discover what you'll like! I love the edginess of the works
they have. Use the code GOOP at checkout for a 10% off of purchases
and goop20 for 20% off of rentals. Applicable to all purchases or rentals
for an entire month from today!
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Zatista: www.zatista.com offers a curated selection of over 4,000 high
quality works from sought-after artists in 20 countries worldwide.
Zatista's innovative online tools such as the "view in virtual room"
feature creates an easy and informative online shopping experience and
they even have a no-hassle return policy! Use the code GOOP15 to get a
15% discount of off the first purchase valid until October 31.”
How to frame and display
Display tips:
“In general, if you buy art from a gallery, it's best to follow their framing or
mounting suggestions which are usually also the artists' wishes for a particular
piece.
Living room
As a rule of thumb ...
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Stretched canvases don't need a frame.
Super edgy or super large photography looks best mounted in acrylic or
Plexiglas.
The bigger the piece is, the closer it should be to the furniture that is
accompanying or enhancing (a sofa, a console table…). Separation from
the furniture can range from four to six inches. (However, each case is
different, in particular if the piece is too big or if the room has high
ceilings)
The idea is that the piece should be at eye level and not too high above
anything that serves as a point of reference.
Bathrooms & Kitchen
From the bathroom to the kitchen, anything goes. I don't think that there is a
space that isn't game for contemporary art. In fact, I love to try daring
combinations and incorporate art in unexpected places. It's a treat that delights
both the owners and their guests.
Bedroom
I go a bit more subdued in the bedroom because I subscribe to the idea that
bedrooms should be restful sanctuaries.
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Black and white or sepia photography, watercolors and mixed media
works that incorporate some pastels and softer colors are usually a good
bet.
Bedrooms are also the place for smaller pieces. You don't need the
impact of the bigger works in here.
Hallway
I love creating galleries with a lot of small pieces that have mismatched frames
and styles. In fact, I think it's the only time where a lot of mismatched frames
and styles work well. Hallways are perfect for this kind of display.
I encourage people to have art in a variety of media that can range from acrylic
on wood to photography to sculpture. However, I also suggest that there has
to be a cohesive theme tying the artwork together, either a specific period of
time when the artworks were created or works that belong to the same
movement even if they are from different artists or works coming from artists
from a specific region such as Latin America.
To make your own gallery display ...
1. Start by making a "blueprint"; Take a roll of paper the size of the wall
(or paste paper panels together) that is to become a gallery and then put
it on the floor.
2. Place the mismatched works on top of the paper the way you want them
arranged on the wall.
3. This is your chance to rearrange and experiment with the works until
they look just right.
4. Use a pencil to mark exactly where each should go.
5. Tape the paper on the wall and put nails in the places where you want
each piece to go.
6. Carefully rip the paper off the wall and and voilà, there's the gallery!”
How to mix and match contemporary art in your space
“I have always focused on creating rooms and I'm drawn to places that feel like
real homes. Thus, I love layering pieces and adding colors, textures (wood,
fabrics, rugs, glass, metal) and patterns (flowers and stripes) as well as mixing
modern pieces of furniture with vintage finds. This is when the contrast
becomes all the more interesting. Here are a few ways of tying it all together:
Contrasting color schemes
One tip that works for most rooms is to try to develop a contrasting color
scheme that goes well together (for example, grey and yellow) and then
incorporate a third color that will add punches of colors here and there (in the
example above, red, magenta and purple go particularly well.) The art that you
put on the walls doesn't have to match the colors of your furniture or
accessories, but I tend to find that most people gravitate toward the same color
scheme over and over again and so it's not that unusual to find that people
select artworks that have a similar palette to that of their décor. The idea is to
get an overall design that makes visual sense and is not overwhelming to the
eye. If you feel there's too much of a particular color, then you're probably
right and you'll be better off taking a few pieces out.
Vignettes
Vignettes are also cool ways of making spaces look more alive. I love creating
vignettes with anything that may fall in my hands at any given moment. For
example, I may try to work around a small piece of contemporary art by adding
a few books with colorful spines (never judge a book by its cover, but if you
want to create an exciting vignette, then you need colorful spines!); an eBay or
thrift shop object that is cool and interesting, and a vase with flowers or a
vintage tin letter, the possibilities are really endless!
Kids and Art
Finally, a word on art and kids: I'm the mother of two very intense, very active
boys, and we somehow happily coexist with my art collection, and all the bells
and whistles that come with living with the things that I love. Lots of my
clients are moms and most of my friends are moms. All of them worry about
buying art because the kids will mess with the art. I think that you have several
options in this situation ...
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Hang the art higher than what their hands can reach. This is my least
favorite solution because of the visual effect that it generates but
between having to live with no art and having art that is hanging higher
than what it should, I take the latter.
Teach kids the value of living with good things. This is my favorite
option and the one that I have been using literally since each kid came
home from the hospital. Children who live with art (whatever media,
whatever shape, color or form) and know how to appreciate it and relate
to it early on, develop a sensibility and a perspective that those who
don't have this opportunity never get.”
Interiors photography:
David Lewis Taylor, Scott G. Morris, Maria Brito and Marni Salup.
Photographs from PurePhoto:
Sara Jessica Wilson, Pink Car, Paris, France.
Thomas Birke, Paris #21.
Maria Brito is an interior designer, a tastemaker and an authority on mixing
contemporary art and interior design. She is the CEO and creative force
behind Lifestyling® By Maria Gabriela Brito www.mariabrito.com , a company
that offers full interior design and decoration services, sourcing, curating, and
displaying art collections that truly reflect clients' tastes and lifestyles. Maria
lives and works in New York City with her husband and two sons.
Ellsworth Kelly
This summer I had the honor of interviewing Ellsworth Kelly, one of my most
favorite artists, and it's featured in this month's Interview Magazine.
Here's a little excerpt and a link to the article:
“This fall, Ellsworth Kelly has two monumental shows in Munich—one
museum retrospective of a lifetime of plant drawings, and another a collection
of his black-and-white paintings and reliefs—as well as an exhibition in Boston
of his natural wood sculptures. These come on the heels of a number of other
shows featuring Kelly in 2011, including a display of recent two-panel relief
works at Matthew Marks Gallery this past spring (Kelly is also designing the
facade of Matthew Marks’ first Los Angeles gallery space, set to open in
January.) That’s a lot on the plate of any artist, let alone an 88-year-old one
who has been pioneering abstraction since the 1940s.
The sky was bright blue on the July afternoon that collector and admirer
Gwyneth Paltrow visited Kelly to take a tour of his headquarters and ask him
questions about his life in the arts.
GWYNETH PALTROW: When did you first start making three-dimensional
paintings?
KELLY: In Paris in the late ’40s, I started making my first reliefs. They are
separate panels. I wanted to do something coming out of the wall, almost like a
collage. I did a lot of white reliefs when I started because I liked antique reliefs,
really old stuff.”
Read more here.
Photograph by Jack Shear
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