The Cost of Art
I think most people’s perception of original art is “it’s expensive”, but you consider the cost spread over the course of the lifetime that you enjoy the piece of art, you may see how inexpensive original art is.
Think about this, if you are a daily Starbuck’s customer you probably spend about $20 a week and that’s just stopping for a $4 coffee, 5 days a week. You might really enjoy your fresh brew at most for an hour.
If you go and see a movie these days you’ll pay about $8 (not counting the snacks) for a couple of hours of entertainment. Hopefully you are entertained! From time to time I’m a little let down by a movie.
When you find a piece of art that you love, typically you’ll still feel that way after many years. If you were to spend $1000 on an original piece of artwork the cost over time, let’s say 10 years, the cost is .27 per day. Most art is keep it for decades and often passed down several generations, so the cost of ownership is lower still.
Original art is not something you enjoy just for an hour, but every time you gaze upon your treasure.
When purchasing an original piece of art, you develop a connection with that artist. When selling a piece of an emerging artist last week, he stated “it’s like selling a piece of me.” Original art has an energy that reproductions just don’t have.
In this time of so much disposable purchases, it’s nice to make a purchase that can last many generations. And remember the cost is much less than you first thought.