Contemporary Art - A Buyer's Guide - by Phil Harwood
In the first of our contemporary art columns, Phil Harwood, art director of Ascot Studios offers some invaluable advice on how to choose and buy a piece of original, contemporary art.

The Art Market
As a gallery owner and curator, I can say with authority that collecting art is no longer the domain of a privileged minority. Whilst it is true that many of my clients are millionaires, successful business people or seasoned art collectors; an increasing number of working couples, retired people and speculative investors are buying work and engaging with contemporary art in a very positive way. Industry figures for 2006 show a staggering increase in the market for quality original art.

Ivan Macquisten, editor of leading arts' publication, Antiques Trade Gazette reported that contemporary art was up by 61 per cent to $647m.

The recent tabloid ridicule of the Turner Prize winner illustrates how parts of the media are eager to publicise what they perceive to be nonsensical conceptual installations. This derision feeds the public perception of the pretentious nature of art and artists today. Nevertheless, there is growing respect for modern painters working with commitment and integrity. In ever increasing numbers, discerning appreciators are buying high quality, original work produced with genuine passion and talent.

The international cities of London and New York are epicentres of a global art market that is extending throughout Europe into India, China and Russia. Damian Hirst has been cited as the 'flagship brand' of modern art, underlining the huge respect and importance British Art attracts on the world stage. Additionally, the increasing admiration for the tradition of good painting is changing the art market across the provinces in the UK. As a consequence, it is an exciting time for both potential buyers and a relatively small group of credible independent galleries across the UK.

Advice to buyers
The contextual meaning of art is intensely personal and subject to a variety of interpretations. The monetary value is even harder to ascertain, as there is no inherent value for a particular painting other than the value others place on it. Therefore, in order to help people make shrewd judgments when considering investing in art, I have the following advice for potential buyers:

• Join the gallery mailing list. It's a great way of getting to know about forthcoming exhibitions and events in advance. This is a free service with no obligations.
• Do your research. Credible artists will have professional representation and will be featured on the gallery website. Here you should be able to read their artistic statement and view a substantial archive of their work.
• Ask to see copies of any publications in which the artist has been featured. Also, ask if the artist has received critical acclaim from a respected industry professional. In my experience, quality work has an abundance of supporting evidence from third party observers.
• Set yourself a realistic budget. Expect to pay in the low to mid-hundreds for a limited edition print from an established artist and up to a few thousand for original works.
• Reputable galleries will always issue a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. Expect to receive this within a few weeks of any purchase.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions of the gallery curator. The curator's role is not that of a salesperson, but is more that of a communicator. They can offer lucid interpretations of the work enabling visitors to make a well-informed decision about their potential investment.
• Consider commissioning an artist to produce a bespoke solution to your brief, particularly if you have decided on colour, style, size or subject matter. Independent galleries will be proficient and experienced in co-ordinating commission requests.

Help with evaluating artwork
As well as doing some research, allow yourself a reasonable period of contemplation in which to absorb and engage with the artwork in the gallery. It is perfectly normal for potential buyers to seek assurances about the quality and validity of work they are considering purchasing. If you are visiting galleries, talking with curators and artists, there are a number of personal evaluations I would advise you to make regarding the artwork in question:

• Is the work presented to the highest standards? Strong production values are very important and are usually a reliable indicator of the artist's level of professionalism.
• Is the price realistic, based on the trackrecord of the artist?
• Is there a 'progressive and forward-thinking' element to the artwork? Is it challenging, interesting, fresh and new?
• Is there a uniqueness or originality that separates it from other exhibits? Does the artwork show artistic innovation?

In essence, I would encourage buyers to make rational decisions based on research, and to, follow their instincts; intuitive purchases can be both an enjoyable and shrewd long-term investment. Ultimately, part of the true meaning, merit and value of any artwork is determined by the kudos of the gallery in which the work is exhibited, the interpretation offered by the curator and the credibility of the artist.

Above all, I would encourage people to enjoy the experience of engaging with contemporary art. People in the art industry often forget the following fundamental principal outlined by the highly respected Czechoslovakian author Lubor Hajek, who wrote: 'The main function of an artistic work, even one not directly created for us but for people of other ages and climes, is to give pleasure.'

Gallery owners, curators, artists and collectors often lose sight of this when they build galleries, articulate meaning, paint or part with their hard-earned cash. Whilst it is true that buying art can be a wise investment, it can also represent an enjoyable life-enhancing decision. The truth is that art can be an inspirational addition to the home; the emotional response it stimulates can genuinely enhance mood and make us approach life more positively. This is exemplified by the fact that businesses are increasingly aware that environmental enhancements in the workplace can increase productivity and efficiency. The question is, is it part of your concept for living?

Phil Harwood is the arts director at Ascot Studios. His gallery in the Ribble Valley is developing a reputation as one of the North's leading independent contemporary art centres. Successful exhibitors are chosen from a plethora of emerging and established artists throughout the region.

Contact Phil at Ascot Studios. Tel. 01254 878 100 or visit: www.ascotstudios.com

Art and Environment
by Phil Harwood, Ascot Studios

In my previous article I tried to compile some helpful advice to buyers which has compelled me to be even more conscious of the way in which the public engages with contemporary artwork. This month I would like to demonstrate how art can help us to create atmosphere both at home and in the workplace.

It is interesting to observe the various attributes of paintings in the gallery that have attracted attention and how people responded to what they saw in the exhibition. That is why I have decided to review some of the most recent sales of original works, and ascertain some of the reasons why they found an appreciative audience. Also, I hope to illustrate how art helps us to shape our environment and influence our behaviour. People tend to buy art to boost their self-image, for home-improvement, or to add something inspirational to their lives. New purchases represent new beginnings; new starts in re-assimilating and re-organising our homes into more ideal representations of ourselves and our aspirations. Order and regime bring about a structure to our lives and art in the home does have a strong place in our domestic 'order'.

This Fertile Earth
by Edward Foster.
(Featured in Concept For Living January issue) This painting is one of the major works from his acclaimed Vibrant Nature series, which has sold to discerning collectors associated with Ascot Studios. His paintings explore the spiritual connection between man and the landscape and man's interdependent relationship with nature. They pose questions about man's responsibility as a custodian of the planet. If this message doesn't encourage and inspire us to become better people and compel us to at least try to leave a better world for our children to inherit, then nothing will!

Paintings such as these can find a place in our home environment but not in a purely decorative way. We, the viewer, are expected to make assessments of the artistic message and consider this message in relation to our own lives. This piece had huge personal relevance to the buyers, who felt as though they had found something special and uniquely relevant to them. This Fertile Earth will make a profound statement in their new home in north Manchester.

Pendle Farm and Hurst Green
by Rob Miller
Rob is one of the resident artists at our professional art studios and contemporary art gallery in the Ribchester. He is a prolific landscape artist; his paintings of the UK and Europe display a maturity and depth of understanding that set him apart from his peers. A strong awareness of geology and the impact of man's behaviour on the landscape are inherent within his work.

A number of seasoned art collectors associated with Ascot Studios are already paying an avid interest. Hurst Green was bought by an enthusiast in the Midlands, and Pendle Farm went to a collector in London. His work is experimental, textural, and involves a very effective use of colour and markmaking. Many of his originals are found in office environments where they stimulate the working mind and give a feeling of space and freedom.

It is no coincidence that the paintings featured are either inspired by, or are representations of, the Ribble Valley - a beautiful area of Lancashire that the artists know and love. This draws upon their strengths - their familiarity and knowledge of their immediate surroundings - their environment. The artist's role is to evoke emotional responses or re-kindle memories. What the artist offers is an artistic interpretation of the world that is intended to enhance our environment - to inspire our minds and provoke thoughts of beauty and pleasure. As consumers of art we need to adopt a positive outlook, and be open and willing to engage with new ideas and innovative ways of interpreting the world around us.

The 'UBS Art at Work Collection' is one of the foremost examples of artistic environmental enhancements in the workplace. This selection of original work is from emerging artists under the age of 35 and is exhibited at Swiss Bank UBS's London offices. Art advisor, Stephen McCoubrey, said: "Our ambition is that the art we show will inspire creativity and invite people who live with it to
think beyond their working day."

The purpose of the collection is to encourage creative thinking and help create a dynamic workspace for the employees at UBS. The mood within the building will have been lifted and its inhabitants, either consciously or not, will have adopted a more positive mindset regarding their daily experience of work. As a consequence, they will have a higher propensity to use their time effectively and channel their energies towards achieving something special for themselves and for the organisation as a whole.

All businesses should take heed; not only does art have a positive effect on productivity but there are financial motivations for businesses to build a corporate art collection. Quality work from young emerging artists can represent a shrewd investment. The market for contemporary art is soaring, and work is being sold as a financial asset as much as its 'value' as art. As author James Heartfield explained: "Artworks are unique, and so a good store of value. The generational shift that pushed the avant-garde into the same high-earning bracket as the Old Masters has made fine art a sound investment."

Blackburn Road, Ribchester
by Angela Wakefield
There has been so much excitement about Angela's Urban Landscape series that there is an acceptance that her artwork is a sound financial investment. She is a young, emerging artist with a growing national reputation. She produces work that resonates with a broad range of people, offering enduring representations of contemporary landscapes.

This warming portrayal of Ribchester village was a popular exhibit, encouraging a huge amount of positive dialogue from visitors. Angela presents a version of the urban environment stripped down to its essence, capturing the behaviour of light and employing an imaginative use of focal-point and perspective. There is a sense of movement and energy in the painting which serves to place the viewer in the picture.

The buyers, a professional couple from Preston, were very positive and engaged with the work whole-heartedly. Perhaps the ultimate compliment for Angela was that they were affected in such a way that the artwork has become a catalyst for their relocation. In other words, they feel compelled to enhance their surroundings, and in the process, create a more appropriate context for their investment.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that we are, in part, a product of our environment. The future we envisage for ourselves is initially determined by our immediate surroundings and what we see of the world. However, as individuals we have the power to exert an influence upon our lives and the lives of others and not simply be a product of our social environment. We can, to an extent, create our own future. Arguably, if we allow ourselves to control and enhance our environment we are more likely to be inspired; if we are inspired then we will grow, be productive and prosper.

For more information on Ascot Studios or any of the artists mentioned contact: Phil Harwood, arts director at Ascot Studios. Tel. 01254 878100, email: phil@ascotstudios.com or visit: www.ascotstudios.com