What To Look For When Shopping For Your First Contemporary Art Painting

What To Look For When Shopping For Your First Contemporary Art Painting

7 October 2022
 Categories: , Blog


If you have decided to purchase your first contemporary art painting, you may feel a little overwhelmed trying to navigate the market with all the artists and choices available. However, there is really no reason to be nervous about purchasing art. Whether you are interested in starting to collect contemporary art for a hobby or you want to buy a great painting to decorate your home, a few shopping tips can help you find pieces that will serve you well.

Emotion matters

A great contemporary art painting is one that evokes strong emotions and feelings in the viewer. If you walk through an art gallery and a certain piece stands out to you or grabs your attention, you should consider purchasing that piece. Art is all about feeling, and whether a piece is from a well-known artist or a new artist, the emotions art evokes are the most important thing you need to consider when purchasing art. 

Characteristics of contemporary art

One thing that makes contemporary painting unique is its ability to defy easy definitions like other pieces of art. Contemporary art is diverse, a bit eclectic, and is set apart by the fact that it is so unique and lacks uniform organization. Emotion and meaning are truly in the eyes of the viewer, and each person is likely to interpret the meaning differently.

View a variety of artist's work

Never limit yourself to one specific artist when viewing contemporary paintings. Viewing a wide range of art will help you gain knowledge of specific techniques used and will help you see how the artists express their emotions through their art. This can help you determine which work stands out to you and whether you connect more with one artist over another.

Not all art evokes pleasing emotions

Being able to connect with a specific piece of art is not always about feelings of joy and happiness. Contemporary paintings can evoke all kinds of emotions in the viewer, and this may surprise those who are new to exploring contemporary art. A great work of art may cause feelings of sadness and anger, or evoke memories that are uncomfortable because art itself is subjective to the viewer.

The amazing thing about contemporary art is how it is interpreted differently depending on who is viewing it. When you find a great piece of contemporary art, it will have an impact on your life. Shopping for your first piece is much easier than you think and knowing what to expect will help you purchase your first painting without regrets.

Reach out to an art gallery if you want to buy contemporary paintings to learn more.