May 16, 2016 |
Having recently discovered American Vogue’s interiors section on their website, we have become, to put it mildly, obsessed. “Art”, after all, “is the essence of your home’s style, and as such, it isn’t a place to cut corners. Spend wisely on items that are truly meaningful rather than amassing affordable finds just to fill blank walls and surfaces”. Wise words, American Vogue. Very wise. But what to buy? And where? May we make a suggestion? What about Photo London 2016, which is back at Somerset House this week. The second edition of the international photography fair will this year bring together over eighty of the worlds leading galleries to showcase work by some of the worlds most important photographers alongside that of new and emerging talent, spanning a range of genres, from fine art to documentary via fashion and advertising. The best part about this? It’s for sale. Which leads us back to American Vogue. How does one buy art for themselves? How does one decorate with art? Why would one chose to decorate with art? How does one, quite simply, do art? In the name of finding the answers to these perplexing questions, we have taken it upon ourselves list below, American Vogue’s top art tips, well, collection of random art related sentences taken completely out of context. Think of these as things to consider before making a purchase. These are the things that should be at the forefront of your mind when you indulge in your Photo London spending spree. And then when you’re done burning a hole in your wallet why not go see one of the three exhibitions that are running alongside the fair. Take your pick of Don McCullin, this year’s Master of Photography, Russian photographer Sergei Chilikov and Turner Prize nominated Craig Horsfield, or why not hit up all three?
Art or photography with a vista or a landscape also acts like a window and gives depth to a wall, bringing the eye visually into another world.
It’s all about love—you’re never too young to buy at least one thing you adore for your home. Start to surround yourself with things that excite you. Your interests and eye will start to develop and grow from there.
Do you really love this piece? If the answer is no, reconsider.
Start with a statement piece. Find one thing that speaks to you, and use it to anchor your collection. It could be a statement piece because of its size, color, or shape, but move outward from there.
Use one oversize piece of art to make a wall feel bigger. About 70 percent of the wall should be covered by the art to make it really impactful so that your eye sees more art than white space
Try to include some original pieces among your prints and graphic art.
You need some larger pieces as well as smaller ones to round out your collection.
Top to bottom: New York, 1980 by Helen Levitt and Parnell Street by Eamonn Doyle
Photo London 2016. 19 – 22nd May 2016. Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
