I’ve noticed on here that folk are not averse to spending large amounts of money on cars, watches and other ‘status’ stuff.

I’m curious if anyone on here has ever bought a totally unique and original work of art?

yep, I’ve sold a few too!

Yep.

I make and sell, “totally unique and original works of art” if anyone’s interested 😀

i’ve been given several.

Yes. We have a wall mounted glass thing. Cost a few hundred quid and it was a very nervous 350 mile drive home with it in the car.

And I bought one of Roper’s drawings as a unique Christmas present for my folks. They absolutely loved it : )

He’s a very talented chap is Roper.

watches and cars do stuff, they’re useful. It’s a whole different step to spend a lot of money on something that while arguably good for the mind, doesn’t actually do anything.

So no, most I’ve spent on art was about 25 quid for an oil painting of rivington pike because I really liked it. Tiny thing it is though.

I became a modest collector of this Artist’s work when living in NYC – although not necessarily unique – more custom

http://www.lepageny.com/LP.Artist.html

Yup from a guy called Jo Burt or something wasn’t for me was for a friend a few us chipped in.

Yep, I’ve bought a few paintings / pastels. Some original, some prints.
Whilst I agree with Samurai that watches “Do stuff” – the difference in functionality between a £10 watch and a £10,000 watch is zero; it’s all appearance after that.

My wife paid £250 for one of Bob Antell‘s pastels for my Xmas prezzie. It’s very traditional art, neatly done, and I love it. I suppose it’s not unique because there are both cards and prints made from the orignal, but I think that increases my enjoyment of the pastel. He’s a friend of ours.

It’s not a status thing unless you leave the price tag on, or it’s one of those production line pieces from Mr Hirst’s studio 🙂

Mate is an artist and did a pencil drawing of my old man, which I bought as a present for my mum after he died.
If he had charged accurately for the amount of work he actually put in, per hour, even at minimum wage I would not have been able to afford it.

My friend painted this (Its Afrika Bambaata btw)

Got another original painting but no pics.

i’ve bought photographs. the last one was a splendid black and white shot of Nick Cave

Yes. We’ve got a fair few original oils, watercolours, charcoal drawings etc as well as a number of limited edition etchings and prints. Most expensive was a fair wack for a large oil seascape – a wedding present from my wife – going on the artist’s current prices it’s since tripled in value (not that I’d ever sell it). I guess I inherited the habit from my parents who are both art mad – I’ve always bought stuff I loved – started from when I had money from a paper-round and saved for an old pen and ink of a harbour scene.

(And I paint myself – had stuff selling in galleries etc too though since my daughters arrived I’ve had less time to get things onto canvas)

I have bought a couple, one was for my parents

Mate is an artist and did a pencil drawing of my old man,

A very close friend then. 😯

Not bought any but have plenty around the house. My wife is an artist and she has some ‘famous’ and not so famous artist friends who have given us work.

I have Pete.

Hopefully I will afford some of yours one day, or maybe you could discount it and saw it in half?

I wish
I might this year, I don’t know yet. At the moment I need to make some print of my uncle’s shoot (that’s is job though) he doesn’t plane on using them for job purposes so I might just have some original artwork then 😀

/lights touchpaper for the ‘I’m considerably more superior than you and only my opinion is valid’ STW massive

Yes – tattoos count don’t they?

😉

That’s very nice Simon
thanks for the plug.

I should declare an interest here. I am a painter, though this wasn’t a fishing exercise. There are a couple of cyclist paintings here. They were originally bought by Holly Johnson of Fankie Goes to Hollywood fame. The gallery bought them at auction and are back up for sale.

http://www.thompsonsgallery.com/Marylebone/InternalMain.asp
http://www.thompsonsgallery.com/Marylebone/InternalMain.asp

Oops that has jut come up as a general gallery main page link. My name is Peter McLaren. Go through ‘gallery artists’ to find pics

I picked this up from a local tat shop. The owner assured me that it was original. I think it’s rubbish but the wife likes it.

Drac 🙂

If you were ever in the Original Art shop in the Manchester Arndale, it’s the chap who used to have the section with the Laurel and Hardy/Magnificent Seven/Stars of Silent movies pencil drawings.
Now photocopied by knobsters and available at a car boot sale near you every weekend.

Would be delighted to put anyone in touch with him.

It’s interesting that the concept of status has been brought up – a large number of artworks seem to be bought as status symbols (others as investments).

I’m not sure we have anything original, but that’s because we haven’t really had the disposable to concentrate on fine things. Also, it depends on what one likes – Mrs North and I rarely agree on such things, which makes that sort of thing a lot harder, although we did agree on how much we hated some watercoulours that a gallery salesperson was trying to foist on us!

I’ve got a few pieces by this guy:http://www.tapfumagutsa.com/sculpture%20gallery.htm
plus an original Quentin Bell
All money well spent and bring a great deal more joy than ‘practical’ items.

We’ve got a couple of paintings – great things to own IMO. Can’t afford it at the moment but will buy more at some point.

Current favourite artist, though well out of our price range, is David Piddock.

If you fancy getting something original but don’t want to spend alot try a graduate show at your local art college, you may pick the next Hirst!

Do those who make and sell their art do so at an organised location or just sell to friends? It seems getting work into galleries is likely to be hard and limited in numbers and audience.

I’m not an artist but I know somenoe who is, who paints amazingly well but never sells any because she doesnt think they’re good enough (despite several people commissioning paintings and then later accepting her offer to have them for free, annoying).

In Bristol there are several art fairs held annually in the artists’ houses – it’s become quite an event, traipsing around one part of town and looking at art. Good fun, and a good way to get art seen. Some cafes will also put art for sale on the walls.

I do like the Piddock. Philip Bouchard is also fascinating in the modern surrealist vein. I’d buy one if I had a shedlaod to dispose of.

Only ever bought one bit of art work, got dragged to a gallery with the Mrs, who new the artist, after a few free drinks, ended up buying a oil canvas called “Fire”.

That’s where it ended up 😉

We bought our 1st piece at the “affordable art show” which is a bit of a bunfight but a good way to see loads in a short amount of time. I like the Bouchard, great colours. The arabian journeys collection has some wonderful stuff, what kind of money is it?

acjim: I went to an exhibition of Bouchard’s in Bath, and the big pictures were all done to commmission and cost £10k+ (I think). They’re very detailed and very large. But there are prints for sale at about £100.

handfull of stuff by my dad and a print of a cartoon drawn by one of the broadsheet cartoonists,

its a print because he did the original after seing the “poo chute” at our house and wondering if we’d ever thrown the cat down it. The original was a proper back of an envalope job, still got it in case he ever becomes a propper artist 🙂

ouch 10k, maybe when I’ve got the wife back to work 😉

I bought a page of original comic art (Judge Dredd) by one of the lesser known artists but I like it. (getting it into a decent frame cost more than the art).

Almost bought a page from V for Vendetta but wussed out in the end ‘cos I was far too broke to justify it.

Colin -T, you may be surprised to learn that one of the Judge Dread artists works from a croft on Orkney.

bought, been given, am actively looking for paintings at present for investment, and found a sketch in my present house that is possibly worth a lot of money (the house was part of an artists commune owned by nancy wynne-jones in the 60’s) though to me its monetary value is irrelevent as its such an amazing thing to have found (along with some photos of the poet w s graham who lived here and some of his mates including tony o’malley).

You’re in good company Mcmoonter – my old man’s on that gallery list;-)