Lime Tree Gallery offers Ulla Ohlson’s Klippspegling at the upcoming Affordable Art Fair in Bristol (September 8-10).
Though experienced collectors are welcome, the event is pitched at first-time buyers. When starting out, selecting the right work can be a daunting process but the two fair directors, Sam Gare and Luci Noel, have words of wisdom for those still new to the scene.
- Know your trends. Right now, Gare says, digital works, which employ 3D printing and other new technology, is going head to head with artisanal pieces. “We are seeing a renaissance of traditional materials and techniques even among emerging artists,” he says. “At our Recent Graduates’ exhibition, you’ll see works by Alice Vaughan and Laura Collins who have put contemporary twists on the traditional mediums of textiles and crochet.”
- And look beyond them. “Art is deeply personal and what different people respond to can be absolutely fascinating,” says Noel. She suggests starting a collection based around a certain medium or theme depending on how individual tastes run and what space is available. She adds: “The development of new techniques and resurgence of old ones offers a great opportunity to explore your artistic taste. However, you shouldn’t feel bound to buy works which are ‘on trend’.”
- Establish your own taste. A key to finding personal taste in art is seeing a lot of it. Gare recommends flipping through art books and magazines, browsing online and visiting museums and galleries to find pieces – both past and present – that appeal. And, he adds, “art fairs are ideal places to explore what’s happening in the art market today” and can help widen understanding and appreciation for movements and individual works.
As well as the Bristol fair, which takes place at Brunel’s old station, other upcoming editions of AAF include New York (September 13-17), Stockholm (October 12-15) and Battersea, London (October 19-22).
