Learning about Art with Decorati’s New Guest Blogger

Decorati is excited to introduce you to Emily Waldorf, our new Guest Blogger covering the Art industry. Emily is a Los Angeles-based Art Advisor and writer of the blog and newsletter ArtsEtoile.

Emily’s posts will kick-off in a couple of weeks, but Decorati’s Katie Enna sat down with her to learn about how designers can start to become gurus on the oft-intimidating and vast art world.  Here are Emily’s top recommendations:

1. Read

Books: 

Learning how to look at art is crucial.  Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a good place to start; it helps you develop your eye and really understand what to look for in pictures.

Collecting Contemporary by Adam Lindemann is a great primer on the cast of unique characters that drive the art market. 

Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton gives the reader a behind the scenes look at a Christie’s auction, an art school critique, Art Basel, London’s competitive Turner Prize, and the Venice Biennial.  It is a very worthwhile and entertaining read for novice and seasoned collectors alike. 

The Art of Buying Art by Paige West is a fantastic how-to guide of getting past the gallery door and starting a collection.

Online resources:

Some of my favorite online arts resources include ARTINFO, Artforum, The Art Newspaper, Artnet, ForYourArt, Artkrush, Artslant, The Stark Guide, and All the Best, from Decorati’s own guest blogger, Ronda Carman. 

Editor’s Note:  Emily’s blog, ArtsÉtoile features helpful, educational posts such as “How to Spot a Fake: Tips from a Pro”, the “Secret Art of the Post-sale Offer,” coverage of the recent plunge in antiques prices and other posts on hot artists, gallery openings, and events.  There is an upcoming post about Emily’s visit to French decorator Madeleine Castaing’s house in Lèves.

2.  Look

 Visit Galleries and Auctions: 

Galleries and auction houses are friendlier than they appear, and it can be a lot of fun discovering them. They have a veneer that is very intimidating, and are designed specifically to be that way, but you need to just walk in and stay confident.  Having worked in both galleries and an auction houses, the people are not as scary as they seem. 

Some of my favorite Los Angeles galleries include:  Gemini G.E.L., Greenfield Sacks, Taylor de Cordoba, LA Louver, Honor Fraser, M + B, Regen Projects, Gagosian Gallery (pictured above), 1301 PE, Blum & Poe, Cherry & Martin, and Sundaram Tagore.

Late artist Robert Rauschenberg in Gemini G.E.L. studio, (Photo by Iris Schneider of the Los Angeles Times, 1998)

Take classes:

I recently participated in an art investing and collecting seminar. It was jam-packed with studio visits, conservation workshops, and visits to private collections. I try to take advantage of any educational opportunities that my schedule allows because there is always more to learn.  I am a perennial student.

3. Network

It is important to get outside and meet with people in the art world. At least once or twice a week I try to connect with someone I already know or meet someone new (a dealer, collector, artist), and I always learn something new about a gallery show or exciting new artist that I didn’t know was going on. You can’t get all of your information by reading it.

4. Focus

My academic background is in Impressionist and Modern art but now I focus on contemporary art. I also have some knowledge of furniture and decorative arts and rare books.  When I moved to LA, I quickly realized that it’s all about contemporary art: if you don’t learn about contemporary art, you’re going to be lost in Los Angeles. You can’t be a specialist in everything. When you don’t know about a certain artist, style, or medium, refer your client to someone who is a specialist in that area. 

Check back for more from Emily in the coming weeks, including advice on Buying Art with Clients.

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