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Every time I interview someone, the greatest challenge lies in condensing a fascinating conversation into a comprehensible and thoroughly readable piece of text. That is especially the case when you’re interviewing someone as passionate and talented as Ryan Korban.

In particular, it never fails to amaze me how articulate experts like Ryan can be about the finer points of their trade. They always seem to be able to express the little truths, especially in the realm of art, that elude me for years at a time.

When I asked Ryan about his unique approach to designing small spaces, his response really struck a chord–”I think that for a small space the trick with art is to go really big. In small spaces, and I work with them so much, going floor-to-ceiling really creates a lot of drama.”

Creating drama in your home? I always thought that’s what you’re not supposed to do! Of course, as I transcribed the interview I realized what he was talking about. Aesthetically, drama is what tension is musically. It’s another way of saying  provokes emotion, and is a means of making people connect with the design/art/music.

Having achieved an understanding of what Ryan was talking about, I thought immediately of my friend Joseph’s home. He’s the one guy I know who is a master of creating a drama-rich living space that is a study in contrasts.

Joseph owns a home a few blocks from the beach in his hometown on Florida’s east coast. We became friends while living in San Francisco, where he had condensed a few of his most favorite belongings into a small one-bedroom apartment. We each parted ways with the city at about the same time and a year later we reconnected in Florida. I had heard stories about his house back east, but I had no idea what I was in for. The man generally has good taste, but his home is on a whole other level.

The structure itself is a modest, vaguely mid-century one-story Florida stucco home. Inside, though, he has created a cool, refined yet comfortable environment for himself and his friends. His color palate runs from clean whites to beige to earthy browns and golden ochres. From his classic teak hutches to his blond, rich grained tables and chairs, everything blends together, soothing the eyes and mind.

Faded, well-loved black and white photos of family and familiar Florida beach scenes line the walls, lending a timeless feel to the space. It feels like you could walk out the front door and into 1963.

Daniel Grant SURF MOTEL on Zatista.com

But here and there a blast of color will strike your eye. Joseph is an expert surfer and his taste runs towards distinctive boards with vibrant resin tints. A deeper than the sea, brighter than a Blue Jay “fish” might stand beside the couch or be tucked in a nook.

And amongst all the impeccable antiques and subtle nuances you’re sure to find glaring pieces of kitsch that get to real heart of Joseph’s style. In his mind, every man should have one old, bad schooner painting. That and a well-worn pair of pointy-toed boots.

As Ryan Korban says, it’s about creating drama, about toeing the line but daring to step off of it, and about rocking your own true style with panache.

In my first post for Wall Spin, I addressed the hesitance or downright reluctance that a lot of guys have to trust their instincts and individual taste when first buying art. My sentiments can pretty effectively be summed up as “trust your taste, buddy, you know more than you think.”

I was glad to see that Madelyn Jordon, a gallery owner and art consultant, made a great point in a comment, anticipating the topic of my next post. She said,

That is a start, but when committing significant funds to a purchase of art ( $10,000 and up), it’s best to make an informed decision. It’s great to have an emotional response, but I am happier when there’s a bit more knowledge and thought behind the decision..as a gallery owner and consultant, we educate and illuminate, choosing art with both the wow factor and quality.

Ideally, anytime you purchase art you will be making an investment–one that will appreciate nicely, if not astronomically. And realistically, while Madelyn is definitely right about the $10,000 threshold, let’s face it: one man’s Fiat is another man’s Ferrari.

Sierra Crystal Cut by Katrine Hildebrandt on Zatista.com

So whether that painting that caught your eye and haunts your dreams costs $150 or $150,000, it’s always a good idea to make an informed decision. Now, the question is, how? If you don’t know any thoughtful, articulate gallery directors like Madelyn, the key lies in a key. Actually a combination of keys, really–Command-t on a Mac or ctrl-t on a PC.

That’s of course assuming that you already have Zatista opened (it’s set as your homepage, right?!) and have just found a piece that you’re really, really into. We’ll use my friend Katrine, a Zatista artist, and her piece “Sierra Crystal Cut” as an example. You can get some pretty good info on the artist by clicking on her name just to the right of the piece of art. OK, so you read her artist statement:

“Katrine’s work investigates the world through a philosophical and scientific lens, using data or specimens as models or metaphors in order to examine a philosophical concept.”

That really speaks to me, and wow, that piece is actually a cut paper design–that seems really intricate and labor intensive, and it’s beautiful. I’d say that’s well worth $175 (granted, I happen to be biased in this situation, I’ve watched her make these and the process is amazing).

You can always pull the trigger right off the bat, or you can also pop open another tab on your browser (that’s where the Command-t or ctrl-t comes in) and instantly have a world of value asserting information in front of you. Artists, especially emerging artists, are some of the most web savvy people out there today. They have websites, blogs, and use Twitter. All of those things can lead up to a pretty accurate assertion of where they’re at in their career and where they may be headed.

www.katinehildebrandt.com

So let’s google Katrine Hildebrandt. Yep, there’s her website. The first thing to look for is a CV (Curriculum Vitae, like a resume used for applying to academic, education, scientific or research positions)–that’s your key to see where Katrine or any other artist went to school (Mass Art), if she has a graduate degree (yep), where she has shown work (Boston, San Francisco, Portland and google those galleries–see who else has shown there) and what kind of press she’s received. Solo shows are a good indication that the person is going somewhere, as is a generally active exhibition schedule.

www.katrinehildebrandt.blogspot.com

From there, you can dive as deep as you want. Artists are smart, they blog about major projects and collaborations with other important artists. They promote their shows and get the word out when their work is going to be featured in the media. Of course, all of these things are just ingredients for success and there’s no guaranty that any artist’s work will appreciate. However, with the internet you now have previously unimagined access to an artist’s life and career and a better ability to assess the potential for any purchase to prove to be a sound investment–and that’s an amazing thing.