Understanding an artists’ provenance (their ‘sellability’ based on their talent, reputation, and achievements) lies at the heart of all good sculpture investments.
Obtaining an accurate provenance needs muscular research into:
• What commissions they have fulfilled for whom and when?
• What collections they are included in? (Do the collections belong to noteworthy organisations or well known personalities?)
• What other artists with what level of provenance are also included in those collections?
• What prizes and competitions have they won or been placed as a finalist, what was the calibre of judges, and what was the value of their winnings, especially for the more prestigious events?
• What mentors they have served under?
Marketplace activity
The more people recognise an artist, the greater the demand for their work. Even if they are not well known, investing in a seriously active artist is a safer bet to one who is not. Look out for:
– How many solo exhibitions have they staged and with which galleries?. First rate outlets and agents choose only the best sculptors who in turn command significant prices.
– What group exhibitions have they appeared in with which other notable artists?
– Prices of an artwork can increase in value as an edition sells out and the chances of acquiring a piece from the original series become rarer.
– The first piece in an edition, or even the artist’s proof, is more valuable. As an edition sells out the price can grow as much as 20 percent and potentially inflate further as the artist retires or dies.
– The range of the edition will also govern its rarity. A unique edition will obviously be prized most, but starting prices for mid-career artists will also be higher.
– If an artist is dead, the work may have already transitioned to a higher value. Research of all of the above, plus the work’s sale and price history and perceived market demand will help you gauge its investment potential.
One of the most exciting aspects of buying sculpture is searching for artists who may be relatively unknown, but have something special or even unique at reasonable prices.
Finally though, if you truly love your sculpture, your investment will return daily emotional dividends for the rest of your life.
For authoritative advice on sculpture as an investment, or to shed the burden of expert research, call Todd Stuart on +61 4 5151 8865, or visit mainartery.art.
