Zatista The premier source for original art online

I’ve already made a confession once in this blog. It was January and I admitted I was addicted to chocolate. Now I have another confession: I love chairs. I can’t get them out of my head. I especially like certain famous chairs, for example, Eames chairs,

Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair

Bertoia chairs,

Bertoia Side Chairs

and Saarinen chairs. If I could live in a house filled with original artwork and iconic chairs, I’d be satisfied.

Saarinen Chairs

More than any other piece of furniture, the chair has been designed and redesigned by the world’s most creative minds. Architects, artists and designers all want to sink their teeth into a chair project and tackle the essence of chair-ness. Who knew that, when the ancient Egyptians invented the chair, the idea of this utilitarian object would be taken to such an inventive level?

(I don’t have this book, but I should have it. I must have it!)

Let’s take a moment to indulge in chairs and celebrate what the spirit of artistic pursuit has done for the sedentary over the years. Here are a few of my favorite chairs,

Panton C1 Chair

Frank Gehry Wiggle Side Chair vitra.com

vintage steno chair twentygauge.com

a few chairs that have caught my attention recently,

Drops Chair - camillahounsellhalvorsen.com

Bloom Coco Plexistyle

Fernando-and-Humberto-Campana-Sushi-III-Chair bonluxat.com

and a few paintings of chairs.

Van Gogh's Chair

Raimonds Staprans

David Pettibone "Yellow Chair" zatista.com

What is your favorite chair?

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.

Fact: Locations that have plain white walls…

Prisons
Interrogation rooms
Hospitals
Sanitariums

Question: What do these four locations have in common (besides being the setting for every episode of CSI)?

A lack of warmth.

That’s right. You don’t go to the local prison to share a feel good moment. Sure, the subject matter might have something to do with it, but consider this: if the walls of your home feature little more than an IKEA bulletin board and a couple of old AC/DC posters, your home is probably about as a warm as the set of a detective show.

Warmth Tip #1: Art is where the heart is.
If you find a particular piece of art moving or inspiring, chances are your friends and family will feel the love as well.

"Silhouette in Arches" by Jose Azel, a Zatista artist

Warmth Tip #2: Choose wall art that represents your values and interests.
For example, if you’re a travel fanatic, showcase a series of sunsets from around the world.

"Homeward" by Tracy Mewmaw, a Zatista artist

"An Icelandic Boy" by Peter Guttman, a Zatista artist

Warmth Tip #3: Tell a story.
Find three photographs that can tell their own story when hung in sequence.

"Michael's Memory" by Jennifer Childs, a Zatista artist

"Words" by Jennifer Childs, a Zatista artist

"In the Crowd" by Jennifer Childs, a Zatista artist

Warmth Tip #4: Add a splash of color.
Vivid Reds, oranges, yellows, and deep greens automatically add warmth to any room.

"Waiting" by Jeremy McKane, a Zatista artist

Zatista’s contributing writer Katie Enna sat down with New York based designer Anthony Cochran to discuss some of his favorite art purchases, his insights on buying art online and enhancing beautiful and timeless interiors with art.

What is the first piece of art you ever purchased for yourself?

When I was working as a waiter at Tribeca Grill in the early ‘90s, one of my co-workers, Claude Martz, brought in some drawings he had done of a girlfriend. I thought they looked like Matisse and was so moved, I asked him to do a portrait of me. It only looks a little bit like me but it’s a very simple line drawing and is still one of my favorite pieces today.

Those first few art purchases can sometimes be the most daunting. Do you have advice for those who are starting out?

The first piece of art that you buy should be beautiful to you whether it be comical, clever, crazy, edgy, or cool. Art can and should make a statement, but just remember to ask yourself “Is it necessarily a piece I want to live with for the rest of my life?” When I buy a piece of art, I think, “Is this something I can’t live without?”

What inspires you when you walk into a client’s home? Where do you begin?

I find that most of my clients will at least have one piece of art or furniture that they are emotionally attached to. I’ll usually work from there and try to incorporate the client’s personality into the rest of the room. I often look to him or her directly for inspiration.

Buying online is obviously different from seeing a piece of art and falling in love with it in a gallery. What are your suggestions for those buying online and how did Zatista help you find the right pieces?

I love painting, so I started by choosing a medium. Then I searched by size, and then by price. Then maybe I’ll search for a specific color and work from there. The great thing about Zatista is that they do the looking for you, all the hard work is done.

If you had to decorate an entire room on one color palette what would it be?

Sky.

On Zatista we provide only original, one-of-a-kind pieces that can often require you to buy on an impulse seeing how they may not be around forever.  How do you make sure you don’t miss a great piece?

If you see a piece of art that literally moves you, and you can’t stop thinking about it for three or four hours, it’s probably something that you’ll love forever. I once found a small, Cezanne-like oil painting by Charles Sibley at a flea market. I walked away from it and thought about it all day long. I finally went back and bought it. The painting cost me $600, which was a lot of money for me, and for most people, but it’s one of those pieces that I know I’ll keep forever.

More on Anthony Cochran:

Anthony’s design firm ACD is renowned for sleek yet comfortable interiors. He is also Cofounder and Creative Director of QCollection, a pioneer in high-end, environmentally friendly furniture, fabrics and home accessories.

Prior to QCollection and ACD, Anthony served as Senior Style Editor for Martha Stewart Living and worked with a variety of other influential design firms including Victoria Hagan Interiors, Stephen Mallory Associates and John Saladino Inc.

In my work as an art consultant curating art programs for high-end hotels, my clients are interior designers who have worked for months selecting everything for a room, from fixtures to furnishings, before the topic of artwork is ever mentioned. OK, wait. To be completely fair, the designer had selected a style of artwork early in the design process, but the actual works of art aren’t selected until the final phase of the project.

This is a world in which art is very much like an accessory that makes a great outfit pop into a WOW outfit. Not considered an afterthought, the artwork is indeed an integral part of the room, it has an integrity of its own, yet it is selected after the overall interior has been established. On rare occasions I’ve seen a hotel space designed around a piece of artwork or seen the art inspire the interior design, but this is not the norm.

My guess is the order mentioned above (first interior, then artwork) is how most of us live. Our homes are already furnished with pieces we either want to keep forever or need to replace eventually, the walls are painted and occasionally re-painted, and the collecting of original artwork follows sometime after we realize that the posters we’ve had since college just aren’t cutting it.

photo: borman818, Fort Lewis College

Whatever the reason, once you’ve decided it’s time to incorporate original artwork into your daily life and living space, start with the art.

You have already established your style at home, so get out there and shop for art for art’s sake. Go to galleries, shop on line, look around and get exposed to art. The more you see, the better. When you see something you like it will stand out. But I beg you, do not select artwork just to match your furnishings or your walls. That would be starting with the furniture. Let’s face it, people move from house to house, furniture gets moved around, and wall colors change. Start with the art and buy what you love.

If you start with the furniture and buy art to match or even coordinate, you will probably tire of the combination in a short time. This equates to buying disposable artwork, and we don’t want that! If you want to invest time and money into original artwork, and I suggest you do, buy artwork you love, don’t try to match the couch. You have a sense of style already and your tastes will draw you to certain artwork. If you trust your visual instincts, your furnishings and your artwork will naturally come together in the end.

photo: John Reed Forsman

I promise you will always find a place in your home for art you love and you will enjoy it for a long, long time. Isn’t that more satisfying than knowing you’ve matched the sofa?