Some advice on collecting & why I do it.

When I was asked to talk about starting your own collection at The Glasgow Art Fair ? year/20??? I was delighted. The audience was very enthusiastic & I was embarrassed to find a short video online after the event. It contains some key points about about collecting & of course is only a snapshot of the whole lecture, but I hope would encourage you to think about collecting, because after all without new collectors photographers coming up through the ranks today will have no one to sell to.

So why do I do it?

Well in order to order my reasons I figured a list was the best way to go, though I stress that this list is in no particular order:

Because I LOVE photography & want to be part of nurturing its future in the art world.

I get absolute joy from my collection & sharing it with others.

I don't just want to leave the buying to a bunch of very rich men, the rest of the worlds markets rely on a bunch of very rich men & look where thats got us.

The photography market needs more buyers with taste in order to introduce new emerging artists to the art world. The best way to do this is to support them by purchasing & promoting them; not just by looking at their work. Compliments do not help them make more work or push their careers to the next level.

You must practice what you preach.

Every work becomes a friend, revealing new things to you as the days, weeks, months & years go by a great work shows its true depth.

I have helped some make their mark & made some amazing friends along the way.

You can start small & build work your way up. A masterpiece of photography is still a fraction of the price of a master painting.

The people I have met through collecting have become firm friends, we advise each other, share stories & keep a dialogue going about the photography world, which keeps us all on our toes, learning & educating ourselves. (Stops my brain getting soft)

The thrill of discovery...as exciting as any explorer can expierience I'm sure & less mozzie bites!

Just when you think its all been done (as the old saying goes) something amazing comes along.

So what are you waiting for?

Don't take my word for it, get collecting!


Picture credits: (2 favourite works in my collection)

©Jeffrey Milstein
American Airlines McDonnel Douglas MD-82
34 x 34" - edition of 10

Alfred Stieglitz (U.S., 1864–1946)
Snapshot in the New York Central Yards [Camera Work 20, 1907]. 1902
Photogravure
7 1/2 x 6 1/8 in. image size

What's collecting got to do with it?

As Tina Turner once said, "Whaats collecting got to do, got to do with it?". Well quite a lot actually. As many of you know I am an avid collector of photography, but what is often missed is the importance of understanding why people collect photography and how they collect. Some photographers are keen to sell their work, approach galleries, magazines and newspapers to share the wonder of their work to the world at large. Their aim, to achieve world domination and to become as famous and successful as Andreas Gursky, to live the dream before they die in obscurity to justly be found later as a genius of the medium. These dreams of their work fetching huge may I say offensive sums of money at auction, breaking records of previous sales, their net worth ever climbing higher with each subsequent series, admired the world over.... You get the picture.

Well, in order to reach such status you have to realize several things, the most important of which is that most of it is a fallacy and breaking auction records is all well and good but to reach such heights one must work hard and prosper through making great work, promoting and having a great agent and/or gallery behind you. Until then it is worth knowing one thing: the market.

In order to sell photographs it is imperative that you understand the way in which a collector finds, enjoys, buys and displays their collection. This is one of the reasons I felt would not only help budding collectors but photographers too when I wrote my book. The course announced for October 9th at Diemar/Noble Photography is well worth attending if you are a photographer as well as those of you whom are interested in adding to or beginning your own collection. The joy I get from my own collection and searching for new additions to it is a wonderful part of my life. Having sound helpful advice can sometimes feel thin on the ground. Having a trustworthy gallery, fellow collectors and keeping my eyes open for emerging talent allows for this to be a more enjoyable endeavor. As a gallerist it is my reputation that must be upheld in advising our clients well to build their own collections and benefit from the advice we freely give.

The course is a day of seven lectures with plenty of breaks and an hour for lunch, so that everyone has the opportunity to stretch their legs and think about each lecture as the day goes on. If you are curious and would like to attend please go to the website and look at our education page to download the full details and feel free to call if you have any queries. The photograph displays the use of a black light used to test the age of print. We explain and demonstrate this on the course. Places are limited and go fast. We keep the numbers quite small so that everyone has the chance to put forward their questions on a more intimate basis, getting to know both myself, my fellow Co-Director Michael and each other. I look forward to seeing you at the gallery soon.

Remember, if I wasn't passionate about collecting I wouldn't be doing it!

Black light photograph courtesy of Diemar/Noble Photography: Copyright - Colin Coutts
Self portrait of a budding collector!