Here’s a question that might seem a bit odd…..why do people pay money to own art?
No doubt there are a lot of reasons – all sorts of people have all sorts of motivations for doing all sorts of things.
Maybe we can come up with some answers?
Here are some obvious ones:
- I want to show my friends that I have good taste / am wealthy enough to buy art / am educated
- I have walls that look empty and un-decorated
- I like pictures of places I have been or things I have seen
- I’m a collector and regard fine art as an investment
OK – these are pretty straightforward. But my preference for adding complexity means I can’t leave the question there!
In an earlier blog I discussed ‘costly signalling behaviour’ as a motivation and considered how art buying could be a form of that behaviour.
So how about:
- I want to use my obvious ability to choose art and pay for it as evidence of my desirability as a mate and provider
- Now my kids have grown up I want to have my house reflect my tastes, not other people’s’
- I wanted to get someone I care about a gift that would really show them how I feel about them
I’m fairly sure Jenny and I (Vitreus Art) have sold work to people who were acting on all these motivations.
And we can add another couple, working in the field of stained glass –
- I want to change the way my house looks using light
- I want to create space between my and a neighbour’s house by obscuring a window or two
What other reasons can you think of to add?
Do leave a comment and let us know!