Is buying modern art worth it?

There is a lot of guidance online regarding what to buy, how to buy, how to invest, and even how to start your own arts collection.

But what about someone who would simply like to have an unusual decoration of their living room or office? The times of the communist regimes have passed, and with them their standard home interiors: a shelving unit, an arm chair and an otoman. Nowadays, there is plenty of choice. From floors to walls, there are endless possibilities of design, from less to more luxurious.

There is a variety of materials, furniture or other objects to compose an individual, boutique interiors. Very often however, what’s lacking is a unique element, that would highlight the prestige or the character of the space. This difficulty in creating a space that’s unique and one of a kind is known to everyone who ever renovated a house, an apartment or an office.

We want to not only live comfortably, but also for our homes to give us a sense of pleasure and inspiration. We want out guests to appreciate the uniqueness of our homes or workplaces. We want our clients to see the prestige of our business and trust out brand. And one of the ways to achieve all this is using modern art in interior design.

On a personal note: I was growing up during the darkest time of the communist Poland,  golden age of cereal coffee (the regular, caffeinated coffee was known as a ‘good coffee’), when people mended socks, butter was a kuxury, lemons and herrings were ‘thrown on the shops’ during Christmas period and not everyone manager to buy some. On the wall above my parents’ bed there was a painting of the Holy family. I still remember the image of saint Joseph with an axe. He seemed so real to me, and that axe in his hand made him seem invincible. On another painting, an angel guided two children crossing the river. The children were of course a boy and a girl. In our dining room, there was a large print presenting poppies in a vase.

There were more images on the walls of our home, but after all these years I need to stretch my memory in order to remember them, along with which furniture were placed here or there, what colour was the floor and what kind of pattern decorated the walls (there was a special painting roll for these). What I do remember are the shabby images on the wall masquerading as religious icons. It was a trend in interior decoration back then, and a sign of our times that were going to disappear without trace. It was a staple image of yet another family home. Maybe there are some of us, blessed, who grew up in different places and different times, and maybe, grew up surrounded by real art. What could be more fortunate?

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Copyright © Kazimierz Ratajczak