Collecting Black Art
There is little question about the central place of art in our lives and of its importance to our well-being. Civilizations throughout the ages have venerated art whether for its form, its function or its spiritual significance.
Modern art movements have swept over the landscape, and the primary role of art in our lives has, in modern times, shifted away from being one of function. Yet the relevance of art and the richness that art brings to our existence is stronger today than it ever was. And so artists continue to create and the rest of us continue to seek out art.
Today we are faced with a breathtaking array of artistic expression - from literal, realistic renderings, to abstraction; from the legacies of early art movements to the highly personal and individualistic styles, subjects and techniques of contemporary and cutting edge artists. A feast and also quite a job for the viewer. Knowing about art now seems to be a skill requiring specially gained expertise, or at least a great deal of exposure. And if we add to this diversity of artistic expression, the existence of an organized “art market”, and the complexities of the modern marketplace, we can see why buying and collecting art can often be a daunting task.
The idea that collecting Black Art is an activity reserved for the wealthy is just not true today. Every one of us can participate in the pleasure, the beauty, the stimulation, the inspiration, and even the profit of viewing, buying and collecting art. For many of us, there is so much more to gain from mining the rich depths of an artistic tradition of Black Art that has for so long been overlooked - the art of Black America and the African Diaspora.