「The Art of Collecting」The artist themselves determine the value of the artwork

The artist himself is the core criterion for evaluating the long-term value of an artwork. So, how do we choose an artist?

Judge whether an artist is reliable from four aspects.

First, examine the complete growth trajectory. Focus on the artist’s professional training and academic foundation, and see if their creative style has remained consistently stable and deeply developed over time. Check if they have a distinctive series of works, and whether their exhibition history shows a steady progression. Use this as a criterion to eliminate those who are merely following trends or achieving fleeting popularity, such as the type of creators who are merely trend-following or temporary sensations.

Secondly, consider the uniqueness of the work. Truly valuable creations possess their own distinctive style and core ideas, not merely copycat products produced on an assembly line. This irreplaceable uniqueness is what constitutes an artist’s core competitiveness.

Thirdly, consider the rigorous academic recognition. We should pay particular attention to the artist’s identity from a professional institution, authoritative art awards, the collection records of public art galleries, as well as the recognition from professional organizations and experienced industry insiders. This is the key to distinguishing between orthodox art and popular art.

Fourth, observe the actual market performance. Prioritize choosing artists whose pricing system is reasonable and whose transaction trends over the years have been steadily rising. Avoid short-term speculative bubbles. At the same time, consider the collection circle, the recognition of institutions and experienced collectors. This aspect can better confirm the long-term value of the works.

In summary, the professional skills, creative determination, academic level, industry reputation, future development potential, etc. of an artist all jointly determine the upper limit of the work. Selecting artworks essentially means choosing an artist who is worthy of long-term trust. However, to do well in long-term collection, we also need to continuously learn the professional knowledge of art collection, constantly broaden our aesthetic horizons and collection perspectives, and accumulate our judgment ability. Only in this way can we hold onto the long-term value of the artworks.

Collecting holds a world of secrets. That’s all for today. We’ll continue next time.