Viewing art is exciting and timeless. However, making the transition from visiting the museum or occasional gallery to starting up your own collection can be confusing. Many first-time art buyers have no idea where to start. Here are a few guidelines on how to begin your own art collection.

Aesthetic Criteria
The term “aesthetic” originates from the Greek word Aisthetikos meaning “relating to the perception by the senses.” Today, “aesthetic” connotes principles of artistic quality. I believe there are several criteria that should be met for aesthetic quality to exist. In my view, great visual art is a function of:
• Physical command of one’s media, namely the orchestration of line, tone, color, shape, space, texture, etc. to maximize the descriptive, emotive, and spiritual effect upon the viewer.
• Creativity with media and subject.
• Pictorial unity (well-integrated design).
• Effective editing of the visual information to maximize aesthetic impact.
• Depth of personal expression.

The sum of these components becomes a visual poem that informs, challenges and engages the viewer, long after the initial response.

Doing your Homework
Information is one of the most important tools a collector can utilize to make one’s aesthetic experience more satisfying and interesting. First, read or review a few key books about the history of art such as Anthony Janson’s History of Art or Phaidon’s The Art Book. Once you have established an area of interest, you can focus on more specific books and catalogues. Your dealer and/or advisor should be able to provide you with a pertinent reading list.

Advisory Guidelines
As a collector, it is important to develop a strong working relationship grounded in trust and mutual interest with an art dealer or art advisor who has an established reputation for honesty, knowledge and eagerness to educate. There are many knowledgeable and trusted professionals in the art world. A prominent location, sophisticated advertisements and social or cultural cachet do not necessarily indicate integrity and/or knowledge on the part of an art dealer or advisor.

Financial Guidelines
Stick with an aesthetic area in which you can comfortably afford to buy the best art, at a frequency that complements your personal passion and finances.

Maintain a level of financial liquidity with which you are truly comfortable. Lack of liquidity in a “down” economic environment or an unsettled political time can result in aesthetic and financial losses and lost opportunities; for example, you may be forced to sell works quickly at the wrong time, or you might not have the necessary capital to buy in a “buyer’s market.”

Fashion has its aesthetic and financial price. As the well-respected dealer André Emmerich wisely stated: “At any given moment, the most expensive art you can buy is what is currently most fashionable. Many times, one can acquire work of greater aesthetic quality and financial value by not blindly following the current social or cultural leaders.”

Timothy Keny is a contributing writer for CityScene. He co-owns the Keny Galleries in the German Village along with his brother, James Keny. Visit www.kenygalleries.com.