An original artwork is unique: no one else has one the same.
Purchasing original art adds value to your home or office, and to your life.
It is the perfect present for a special occasion.
It can be a financial investment.
Buying work by living artists also supports their careers.

The best reason for buying an original artwork?

Because it excites you
Because you ‘need’ to own it, even if it stretches the budget
Because you will regret it if you don’t
Because it will continue to give pleasure
If it proves to be a good financial investment, that’s a bonus.

Getting started

Look around and get information.
Visit as many galleries as possible.
See the exhibitions put on by the galleries you like.
Visit University and TAFE graduate exhibitions.
See the regular exhibitions put on by the publicly funded galleries, such as the Art Gallery
of Western Australia, the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery and the John Curtin Gallery.
Read reviews in the local and national newspapers.
Look at magazines and watch art programs on TV.
Surf the net.

Who can I trust?

While there are good art galleries which do not belong to a professional association, membership of the Association of Western Australian Art Galleries and the Australian Commercial Galleries Association guarantees their integrity and the legitimacy of their commercial members. All commercial galleries in these Associations are bound by a code of ethics and subscribe to the Code of Practice and the Aboriginal Protocol promulgated by the National Association for the Visual Arts which are designed to ensure artists’ interests are protected.

Finding Galleries

You can find an illustrated exhibition program of the members of AWAAG in the quarterly guide 'Gallery Circuit', or by visiting this website. You can also be kept up to date by subscribing to Gallery Circuit for $11 per year:
Gallery Circuit Subscription PO Box 891, Fremantle 6959.

Most galleries are open on weekends, and some are open after work hours in the evenings. Check Gallery Circuit, newspapers and the Internet for opening hours.
Ask to be added to the mailing lists or email lists of your favourite galleries.

What should I know about galleries?

Exhibitions generally run from between two to six weeks.
Admission is free, except for some major exhibitions put on by the publicly funded galleries.
Artworks go on sale as soon as the exhibition is set up.
Generally, art shown from the publicly funded galleries is not for sale.
Galleries will usually have selected stock by their stable of artists in their stockroom.
Most galleries have websites showing the artworks of their artists available for sale.

Inside Art Galleries

Viewing art is a personal experience, and so you should feel comfortable spending as much time as you like looking at the artworks.
Read the catalogue or exhibition notes.
If you have any questions about the artwork or artist, ask the Gallery staff for information.
Red dots. A red dot means the work is sold. Half a red dot means under offer; but check with staff and see whether you can be added to a reserve list if the first offer falls through.

What should I know before I buy?

The track record of the artist. Read the catalogue. Research the artist. Who else has bought the artist’s work: major collections, corporate bodies, private bodies? Has the artist’s work been shown in major art fairs, such as the Melbourne Art Fair? Do the prices reflect their standing? Have they won any awards?
Which contemporary artists’ works are being collected by the publicly funded art galleries? Over many years the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery and the John Curtin Gallery have acquired works by Western Australian artists for their collections. Like other major collections associated with the universities, hospitals and corporate bodies, their collection policies can provide valuable guidance to the discerning buyer.
Some artists will not have a long track record (especially if they are a recent graduate or an emerging artist). Sometimes it pays to take a risk.
How is the work made? Is it fragile? What is the best way to display and light it? Can the gallery help?
Does the gallery offer a layby service?

What should I buy?

Be brave! Follow your instincts, but talk to the gallery staff.
Think in terms of your own collection, and the place where you intend to put the work.
Buy an artwork that you genuinely like; it may not turn out to be a financial investment. Art is subject to fashion changes like everything else.
If you want to buy art as an investment, take the expert advice of gallery professionals.

Documenting your purchase

Keep your receipt, the artist’s CV and catalogue of the exhibition in a safe place together with a photograph of the artwork.

Techniques and editions

Paintings. Individual one-off pieces using a range of different types and combinations of paint, mainly oil and acrylic. They may be signed by the artist on the front or the back of the work. In accordance with the artist’s wishes and current fashion, the canvas may be unframed and the sides unpainted.
 

Prints (e.g. lithographs, woodblocks, screenprints, etchings) are usually made in limited editions; each one is an original work of art made and signed by the artist. Unlimited photographic reproductions and posters are not.
 

Drawings are individual one-offs that can be made using pen, ink, charcoal or pencil on a variety of different paper.
 

Sculpture can be made from such materials as bronze, stone, terazzo and limestone, and include installations and indoor and outdoor works. Sculptures, especially bronze, may be made in a small limited edition. Small scale studies for sculptures are known as maquettes.
 

Photographs/Digital Prints are issued as unique, one-off images or, like prints, in limited editions. Large works may be mounted on aluminium or foam board.
 

Multimedia/Video/DVD are an increasingly popular contemporary form. The price of works will differ according to the numbers produced, and in what formats. The artist retains the artist’s copy and then licenses exhibition copies.
 

Artist books are unique items, produced occasionally by artists, sometimes in small limited editions and often at a fraction of the cost of their other work.
 

Framing. Works on paper need to be framed behind glass or Perspex and kept away from direct or strong light. Oil and acrylic are usually painted on a support of canvas, cotton or linen. They are susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity and should not be hung over a direct heat source.