Original Art Invests In Both Artist And Culture

First-time collectors who wonder whether to buy art often need help understanding the nature of their investment

. Those who haven't invested in original art before sometimes overlook the fact that such a purchase pays off to the buyer, the artist and the artist's culture.

A recent example of this synergy among buyer, artist and culture came in June 2010, when a work called "Birth" by Indian artist F.N. Souza sold for a record $2.5 million. The purchase was transacted during an auction of modern South Asian art at the famed Christie's auction house, and set a record for original art by an Indian painter. The painting had been part of a private collection.

Born in Goa, on the west coast of India, Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002) was a controversial figure throughout his life, both for his original art and for his provocative writing. His paintings were particularly eclectic not only for their subject matter but for their media as well. Souza experimented throughout his career so it can be hard to discern any major influences on his work. For example, one of his better-known paintings, "Red Curse," was executed on black silk, an unusual medium for any artist. His style also has been marked by bold lines and a unique way of depicting facial structures.

Much of his original art also reflected themes from his Roman Catholic childhood, such as "Mammon," "Last Supper" and "Christ Head." Souza's most successful works were created during the 1960s while he lived in London and New York. These works often are counted among his most experimental, most original art. He also has the distinction of being the only Indian artist with a collection exhibited at the Tate Gallery in London.

Purchasers who buy art created by modern and contemporary artists such as Souza also learn something of the world in which they live. Souza, for instance, was a founder of the Progressive Artists' Group of Bombay (now Mumbai). He also worked for Indian independence, political activity that Souza claims was the reason he was asked to leave the Sir JJ Art School in Goa. As an activist for the Indian Independence Movement, Souza's paintings took on more political themes as he matured.

History such as that of F. N. Souza is part of the purchase of original art. Veteran collectors often buy art as much for the story behind the artwork as for the visual attraction of the artwork itself. Understandably, a purchase of recent original art is no guarantee of future riches, as with the F.N. Souza painting, but that's not why most collectors buy art. Their affinity for original art stems from both an aesthetic appreciation of the work itself, and often an appreciation for the culture from which it sprang. In the case of Souza, collectors of his artwork gain glimpses into the artist's world, when India struggled to gain its political independence from the British Empire. The works also represent a broader era of Modern Art, when artists felt free to abandon the rules of an earlier time and experiment with new forms and materials.

Thus a purchaser who decides to buy art today may at least be assured of owning a striking visual work, with the tantalizing possibility of also obtaining original art that's a part of history.

by: Vikram Kumar

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