Investing in art and its historical importance
Alfred Stieglitz espoused his belief in the aesthetic potential of the photography as the art medium.
I am always excited and inspired to read about the history and career of Alfred Stieglitz, who was a pioneer of photography in the early 1900s. While his photography has always had an impact on me, in this instance, I identify with his role as an entrepreneur and gallery owner.
Selling art in the early 20th century must not have been an easy task, especially with a complex geopolitical situation, with economies in transformation, imperial powers crumbling and transforming, colonializations and decolonializations, and in art; cubism and fauvism among others fighting their place against the old school.
If we look at the current context compared to the early 1900's we must agree that our present offers us an enormous diversity of incomparable opportunities.
The work of an artist connects with you as a spectator, producing that force of attraction and identity that touches you sentimentally, moves you and this is absolutely individual.
Immediately begins the game of the inner curious child, who wants to know more, who is the artist, what motivated his work, what makes it up, what were the materials used.
The subjective beauty links the experience lived with a work, to the background of the spectator, to his cultural experiences and with his personality traits, which finally conclude and lead to the objective action of buying the work.
But in addition to culturally preserving artistic movements, the art lover and collector adds a piece to her or his sanctuary, living with it, making it a personal extension of her or his tastes and turning it into a piece that will speak of them to their surroundings.
Photo by Nevi Ayu E. on Unsplash
I believe in my opinion and in my general view, that the art business has been misinterpreted, it is true, the countless cases of overvaluation, scams and vandalism that has put the art business sector under question, and this is alarming.
However, I believe in the work of the art collector, supporting with his emotions financial decisions that imprint the artist's mark on history and his passage through the world, a work that in the past was dominated only by churches and monarchies to which few artists had access. Times have changed.
Investing in quality and unique art is investing in the historical memory of the world, in human expression and in its conservation over time.