Survey Uncovers Habits and Preferences of Antique and Art Buyers

Interesting article on buying behaviour of art and antique buyers

Results from a recent survey undertaken by antique show managers Melrose & Duddy and Urban Art and Antiques reveals that buyers of antiques and fine art shop often, consider themselves well-versed in what they are buying and seek across a spectrum of delivery channels.

“The survey revealed some of what we expected to find and uncovered a few surprises,” says Melrose & Duddy founding partner Jay Melrose. “If there’s one underlying theme, it’s that collectors of antiques and fine art are not at all casual about their affinity.”

Almost sixty percent of 100 respondents consider themselves informed buyers and more than 43 percent shop for art and antiques on a weekly basis. Another 19 percent go shopping once a month. Seventy of the 100 shop for art and antiques online, and almost as many have bought at auction in the past year. Eighty-four percent, more than those who shop online or at auction, have purchased from a shop or antique mall in the past year, yet only 27 percent have sought the advice of a dealer or decorator in the past two years.
Almost 60 percent of respondents say their entire home is filled with antiques, while slightly more than 27 percent say they use antiques as accent pieces. A little more than 15 percent say they are just starting to learn about antiques and fine art.

On demographics the largest group of respondents, 49 percent, are aged 31-50, followed by 44 percent who are 51 or older. Fifty-four percent have a college education and 32 percent a post-graduate degree. Forty-eight percent are self-employed and more than 34 percent considered themselves to be in a professional occupation.

The survey also had several questions about the categories of antiques and art respondents have interest in. The largest group, 22 percent, report they are interested in furniture, followed by 17 percent who have a primary interest in art. Pottery, jewelry, prints, glass and silver followed in that order.

More than 51 percent are interested in items from America, followed by Europe (31 percent) and Asia (12 percent). Twenty seven percent report their primary interest is in items made between 1900 and 1930, followed by 26 percent between 1851 and 1900, 18 percent between 1801 and 1950, 16 percent after 1931 and 14 percent before 1800. The largest group, 20 percent report they are most interested in antique shows followed by 15 percent antiques and art show, 11 percent art and antiques show, 8 percent folk art show, 7 percent art show, 7 percent Americana show, etc.

The survey link was distributed on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter, through email lists and linked from several online magazines including Antique Week and Urban Art and Antiques. The survey will remain active through 2010 at www.surveygizmo.com/s/209519/antiques-survey in order to attract an even larger sampling. Visitors to Melrose & Duddy shows in 2010 including Antiques in Charlottesville, Antiques and Gardening at Bryn Du and the All Saints’ Antiques Show will also be asked to complete paper versions of the survey so the responses from actual attendants to shows can be compared with online responses. Others interested in distributing the survey should contact Eric Miller at 412-499-3482

Jay Melrose, of Poland, Ohio, began selling antiques at shows in the mid 1980’s and, armed with that experience, has worked to rethink the formula of antiques show promotion. Today Melrose & Duddy shows feature an exciting array of knowledgeable dealers who are engaging generations of new buyers. More information on Melrose and Duddy is available at http://www.melroseduddy.com/.

Read the full survey at http://www.urbanartantiques.com/2009/antique-survey/

Launching ArTrism, the Asian Gallery

ArTrism has recently launched a new Asian art gallery at asian.artrism.com.
The artworks in the gallery is carefully curated by our team of curators. We are also constantly on a lookout for the brightest emerging Asian artists. Our aim is to bring the best of Asian fine art to the world.

For our launch, we will be offering all our customers a 10% discount on all our available artworks. Start collecting Asian art now!

Do visit us soon. If you have any feedback do drop us a note here.

Introducing Artist Keo Titia

Keo Titia is born in Kampongchnann, Cambodia in 1971

His has a unique style of painting, of a mix of abstract and impressionistic, with very rich texture and bold knife strokes. When you see his painting from afar, it is full of abstraction. On closer look, you can actually see the finer details in the painting like the people and houses. The use of vibrant colours using palette knife is also representative of Keo's paintings.

Keo received a Bachelor of Modern Painting at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Cambodia in 1999. In 1995, he received the Baccalaureate of Painting and Sculpture at the same university.

Below are Keo's solo exhibition:

• 7 times in Phnom penh at the Royal Palace, Le Royal Hotel, Fine Art University, Cambodiana Hotel, Juliana Hotel
• 1 time in Siem Reap at the Grand Phnom Penh Hotel

Keo was interviewed 5 times on CTN and TVK TV channels.

Introducing Artist Thou Sophanarith

Thou Sophanarith is born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 1st January 1963. As a Cambodian, his paintings evokes a deep sense of Khmer tradition and culture. His oil paintings often depicts the lives of Cambodians and their beliefs in cheerful bright impressionistic style with some abstraction. Possibly, depicting the bright future for Cambodians after years of suffering, oppression and poverty under Khmer Rouge regime.

He acquired his keen eyes for the arts at the Royal Fine Arts of Phnom Penh from 1985 to 1991. In 2000, he was acknowledged as an Honorable Painter by the Cambodian Ministry of Culture.
His paintings have been exhibited in the following countries:
- Phnom Penh
- Bangkok
- Germany
- China
- Vietnam
 
Below are some of his paintings:

Introducing Artist Animesh Roy

Animesh Roy is inspired by the furious passion of Van Gogh, the adventure and grit in Papillon and Robert Louis Stevenson, Messner for being alone with the mountains, the total irreverence and bohemia of Henry Miller, rebellious youths in The Wild One, “What are you rebelling against? What’ve you got?”, the sublime serenity of Tagore and Ray, and courage and greatness of the Mahatma.
Born in one of the most artistic places in Bengal, Krishnagar, famous for its clay sculptures, Roy has been crisscrossing since a child as his parents had transferable jobs. A sense of adventure was instilled in him as a child through treks in the Himalayas — “Walking down to Saat Taal and getting lost on the way back in the darkness.....”

Inspiration comes from adventure, travel, meeting people, visiting villages, monasteries, temples, churches, mosques, and graveyards. He would not be able to work in the confines of a comfortable city studio. Though many of his works do get physically done in a studio — the germs are born on the road, while traveling, soaking in.

Roy has been a rebel and a traveller and his natural skills are completely untrained. His artistic growth did get stunted from four years of exile in the Delhi College of Art, trying to get a meaningless ‘art degree’. He planned for a ‘break’ like Papillon succeeding with two back to back solo shows just out of college in 1992. Earning the ire of the art critics and his art college professors!

Since then Roy has had six solo shows in major Indian cities.

Roy traveled to Ladakh in 1995 in the comforts of an aircraft and called it — Travels with a Donkey — an R. L. Stevenson travelogue. He did some 100 drawings in and around Leh.

Then in 1997 onwards he went into a hiatus — reading, learning how to drive and traveling furiously whenever his budget would allow — Nepal, Bhutan, America, Sikkim, Gahrwal, Himachal, Rajasthan, Kutch, UP, Bengal, Goa, Madras. He stopped painting and exhibiting, cutting himself off from the ‘art world’. But continued quietly to do pen-and-ink drawings of places visited.

From 1996-2004 Roy did extensive pen-and-ink drawing of Delhi’s ruins: Mehrauli, Tughlakhabad, Adilabad, Sri, Sultan Ghari, Old Delhi etc., while constantly planning his next trip to Leh by road via Manali a distance of over 3,000 km from Delhi and back.

In 2004 he went back to Ladakh, this time traveling alone in his jeep, battling severe high altitude sickness, driving through some of the world’s highest altitude roads and passes. He paints this time.

Early 2006 — he visited Banares — and came back to his studio in Delhi to produce some 30 odd paintings in acrylics on canvas mostly inspired by the spring and summer of Delhi and a new found joy in his heart.
Roy is back to his first love — painting.

The summer of 2006 Roy went back to the Himalayas… the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Painting the waterfalls and mountainscapes on acrylics on canvas. By the time monsoon came he was back to the planes painting the fields in the villages around Delhi. During this time Roy finally switched to oils… a medium till now avoided by him due to the fear that it was not suited to his temperament! Many wise men had advised him against using oils!! But lately Roy was very unhappy with the results of Acrylic paints.. ‘It’s too muddy and there’s no sparkle’. So he started oils. Initially it was difficult to work outdoors with oils but he has adapted and has been working since in Oils.

Roy went to Poland in 2007. It was early spring and the earth was coming back to life after a harsh winter... everyday fresh blades of grass and wild flowers would spurt... soon the landscape was flooded with flowering tress, shrubs, herbs... it was difficult to keep pace with ever-changing landscape.. before you could decide and go back to a spot the flowers have gone and was greeted by something new!

He spent about six months in Poland. Traveling and painting. By the time he packed his easel and paints, he had finished about sixty odd works during his sojourn. Most of the works were done in plein air and when the weather would turn too rough for outdoors, he would do some still life indoors.

Why Poland? Heart has its reason which the mind can’t fathom....
Presently Roy is painting in Europe again...

View some of Aminesh's paintings here. Click on the picture below to view and buy.