What would Greta say about your art collection? “How dare you?!” or perhaps something a little more encouraging.
So many considerations go into curating a beautiful art collection; Where to find pieces you'll love? Does it match the room’s colour scheme? Is it a good investment?
As art lovers, there is one more factor to seriously consider if you haven’t done so already? How sustainable and environmentally conscious is the work of art you are about to buy?
From efforts to reduce the ever increasing plastic in our oceans, to Tesla’s electric cars and the upcoming 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall which will have climate change a key focus, the sustainability of the items we choose to add to our lives has never been more important, as we collectively aim towards a kinder, greener way of living.
Some of you might remember Turner Prize winning artist, Chris Ofili and his use of elephant dung in his paintings, an admirable use of recycling and natural materials but the five sustainable tips below will be much more palatable!
Let us know in the comments if you have any eco-friendly art collecting suggestions of your own.
How to curate a sustainable & valuable art collection.
- Choose art you love
The most important tip for choosing any work of art, or wine or anything in life to be honest is to make the choice based on what you love.
Yes, it's obvious but it's also very easy to get side-tracked by what's trending at the moment or what will give the largest future Return-On-Investment.
If you look at a piece of art and it makes a strong emotional connection with you, then that’s the piece you should bring into your life.
They are many reasons to choose artwork but ultimately in terms of its sustainability and value to you – the more you love it, the more likely you are to keep it for life.
There are no rules as to what you’ll love, after all some people love Marmite!
Follow your instincts – even if it means choosing a piece out of your comfort zone. You’ll appreciate it even more because every time you look at it, it will be evidence of your taking a leap of faith and doing what you really want!
With this in mind, why not invest in unique or quirky pieces that make a bold statement – How about Miguel Amortegui’ s ‘Love Story’, the painting illustrates the love between two people perfectly – With the colourful, vibrant everyday chaos that life can be sometimes but ultimately when everything is stripped to its core – there is love. It’s a beautiful, thought provoking work made using sustainable materials.
- Invest in timeless pieces
As the great Yves Saint Laurent is quoted as saying “Fashions fade, style is eternal”.
Investing in artworks with a classic theme and created using timeless, sustainable materials will mean your artwork will always be in style and appreciate in value.
Pieces like Julia Wimmerlin’ s ‘Prefect Shape’, a perfectly captured sunset image of Hot Air balloons rising over Myanmar transcend time and will always bring joy to the viewer.
It is printed on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, the world’s first FineArt Inkjet paper made from bamboo fibres – ensuring the quality of image is ‘Gallery’ standard while being an environmentally friendly and age resistance.
- Are the materials used to create the art sustainable?
So, you have found a timeless work of art that you love but is it ethically and sustainably sourced?
The materials used to create the work of art are important because this is where the ‘rubber meets the road’ in terms of the impact of our choices on climate change and the wider environment.
The ‘Leaves’ of the Chakra Lotus Thermomotor for example are made from the shells of the Windowpane Oyster (Capiz shells) which have been used for thousands of years as a glass substitute because of their durability and translucence.
Capiz shells are ethically sourced and globally recognised as a renewable resource. This means that in addition to using just the heat of Tealights as its energy source, the Chakra Lotus Thermomotor is 100% sustainably sourced.
- Learn from the Japanese
The Japanese were building back better well before 2020. From Furoshiki, the art of fabric folding, emerged in the Nara period (710-794) as method of protecting valuables in transit to our personal favourite, Kintsugi, which emerged in the 15th century and is the act of repairing broken pottery with gold.
Kintsugi embraces imperfection and promotes sustainability. Pixel Gallery is such a big fan of Kintsugi that it inspired the design of one of our most popular organic cotton t-shirts, Kintsugi Heart
Valuing the pieces we have including whatever 'imperfections' may develop over time is like the patina on a pair of British handmade shoes, it’s your personal story imprinted on the piece.
- Recycle, Reuse, Reimagine
Art in its simplest form is the physical expression of human imagination and creative skill. This literally opens up the whole world for you to choose sustainably from.
Brighton artist Ray Gibson has (by magic) we think turned the pebbles of Brighton in people with distinct personalities and in a sense taking us full circle back to the very first forms of sustainable art, painting on the stone walls of cave.
Purchasing sustainable art is a timeless investment as it lasts forever! Art plays a key role in creating a beautiful, sustainable environment.
It adds joy and colour to our lives and when done sustainably helps to ensure that future generations will be able to experience the very same joy and colour, and what better legacy can we leave than this...to be able to share the very same beautiful experiences across time.
If you’ve been inspired by the examples of sustainable artworks above, why not browse our curated collection at Pixel Gallery and invest in your life-long love for art.
