Keeping Art in the Home
Keeping art in the home, for many, is something trivial, wall decor, a placeholder, something to match the couch. However, keeping pieces of art within the walls of your home can mean much more.
Art is human. The way paintings are littered with stray brushstrokes, fingerprints, and bristles, leaves each final work with a tinge of imperfection. Photographs may have accidental glares or backgrounds full of unflattering facial expressions. Songs may contain a pitchy instrument or a strained vocal cord where the singer allows true emotion to come through.
These imperfections are what gives art its humanity. As the artist’s vulnerability bubbles up into the surface of the piece, their personality, values, and emotions are conveyed to the viewer. This allows a connection to brew between the artist, the viewer, and the piece itself.
The values, emotions, and personality that one finds within an art piece are often reflections of the self, which is a great reason to bring a piece of art like this into the home. It grants the viewer, or buyer, the opportunity to create a home that reflects their own values, and feels like their personality.
The emotions in art pieces are especially important. Artists typically channel what they are currently feeling into their works, leading to positivity, happiness, even calmness or peace, to be picked up on by the viewer. These emotions and feelings can all be placed throughout the home through artwork, allowing the collector to control the atmosphere they want a space to emulate.
Art also provides representation of culture, history, life perceptions, creativity, ideas, and more, which makes collecting art something that can be done while traveling. Collecting art can be something that encourages you to bring into your home the story of where you, as well as others, have been, as well as where you wish to go, or be.
Collecting art in this way, with the intent of creating a certain atmosphere or display, is a vital investment in the arts, one that is especially vital to local artists, of which there are many in the Downriver area. By buying from local artists, pieces are more likely to have uniqueness and individuality, with passion much more evident than in commercial works.
Buying from these individuals, attending art galleries and exhibitions, even open studio sessions, allows one the opportunity to meet with and discuss an artist’s work with them personally. These personal connections are essential for artists, as frequent, consistent, buyers are great relationships for artists, as they foster their inspiration and motivation, which fosters their growth. Striving for a relationship like this also has personal benefits, as watching an artist’s growth allows one to feel like a part of something, a part of the arts.
Frequenting local artists and local exhibitions, witnessing an artist's growth, allows one to feel truly connected to not only the art itself, but the artist as well. The Downriver Council for the Arts is an ideal place to start a journey of not buying art for the home, but curating an art collection that feels like home.
A Note to Remember:
Art within the home extends beyond the borders of art that is hung on the walls. Art within the home can apply to decorated funtiture, interesting lamp shaes, or even the fabrics that decorate bedspreads, pillows, and rugs.
There is always space for art.
