Tools of the (Art) Trade

It is a fantastic time in the art world, particularly in Europe. With the confluence of amazing art events (Basel, Venice Biennale, and Documenta) and the pent-up travel demand, everyone who cares about art and has the resources to travel is on the move. I'm actually in Paris right now taking in its natural beauty and incredible art.

I have been interested in art for quite a while, but given my involvement in an art-related business (UMA), I have been thinking about it even more. I have been spending time re-educating myself on significant art movements and important figures in those movements (Highbrow). I have also been revisiting artists I have collected for years and spending time learning about contemporary artists making waves. For me, the critical question is simply ... what is the point of fine art?

The answer of course is in the eye of the beholder. I think, for what it is worth, that the point of art is the artist as a historian. Artists can capture and communicate important changes in a novel way; these changes may be as simple as figurative vs. impressionist, significant social issues of our time, or both. Typically this process takes decades (maybe longer) to determine who nailed it and influenced/educated the next generation of artists. A precursor requires almost perfect alignment between galleries, dealers, collectors, museums, and critics. This is why I look at young artists and read their gallery releases with curiosity, but also a healthy skepticism about whether, and if, they will be the select few that future generations point to as great artists. If the pricing for these young artists is an indicator, then we have many, many Warhols living and working among us ...

This week's Loupe is dedicated to helping you delve deeper into fine art.

Collectrium
Website, App

First things first, you need to get your (art) house in order. I am surprised by how many collectors don't have an inventory management system for their art collection. Even some very large collectors (>$100m of value) have their art simply in a spreadsheet. I would highly recommend investing in an art inventory system whether you are starting out or collecting for years (decades?). I have found Collectrium to be a best-in-breed solution, easing the addition of work and adding as many details as desired. Make no mistake, you will have to invest time upfront but believe me, it's worth it!

Mutual Art
Technology

The best way to follow artists in depth that you collect or want to collect is through Mutual Art. This site is a repository of dates for all auctions and shows on most artists. When you follow artists, you will receive daily emails (as frequent as you like) updating you when there are essential things to know about the artists. This way, you won't miss an opportunity to see in a gallery show or purchase at an upcoming auction. I find this allows me to better understand the market for various artists, reinforcing the fact that I can no longer afford most of them!

See Saw
App

The best way to know what gallery shows are up now is See Saw. This is an app that has all show information for the major international art destinations: New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, London, and Paris. You can see all the shows by location, gallery, and artist, including the Press release. When you choose a show it will populate it on a map so you won't miss one, even that gallery hidden on the 2nd floor. Sorry Android people, it's only available on IOS.

Art Privée
Extraordinary Art Experiences in America: An Insider's Guide, by Linda Fischbach with Tracey Pruzan
Book, Website

My dear friend Linda Fischbach has been exploring private collections and foundations for decades. She is following the trend that there are many alternative ways for patrons of the arts to share their collections with the public. Therefore she has assembled a database of such institutions for the public benefit here. I was just in Paris and found this repository invaluable, reminding me to visit the Bourse de Commerce, the Pinault Collection. She has also written a book that delves into some of these experiences which you can pre-order on Amazon now.

Cromwell Art Collector's Club
Art Advisory
My friend and art advisor Wendy Cromwell has been advising clients and building blue-chip collections for over 20+ years. During that time she has seen artists arrive and disappear, as well as art movements burst on the scene and disappear into obscurity. She began to put her thoughts down into a Substack blog (fellow Blogger!) called The Cromwell Art Snack (here). Ever the innovator, she has an expanded her advisory business to include younger artists for her Members. You see, she does the heavy lifting by visiting the galleries, speaking with the artists, and having the context to understand where they fit into the contemporary art canon. This work saves collectors time (and money) and allows them to purchase art before everyone at Art Miami Basel is talking about it and you can't secure any work. Reach out to her for details!

Art needs to be seen (and scene) and consider Collectrium, Mutual Art, See Saw, Art Privée, and WC's Art Snack Found!