Why Buy Paintings? #9

Make friends with an artist.

Understanding the Other: it’s one of the basic challenges of humanity.   Getting to know someone is a process of discovery and in some ways easier than the never ending quest of self-discovery.  In general, the best way to do that is to find out what drives the other person, what their passion is, and if you can understand that, you can come to some kind of common ground. 

Artists are tricky, though, especially with personal relationships.  Most artists do all they can to obscure their actual personas, speaking primarily through their work.  So the best way to make friends with an artist is help them.  Tangibly. Artists need help.  They live on the borders of society and frequently fall through the cracks. Don’t assume self-sufficiency because the work may be strong.  The biggest difference between successful and unsuccessful artists is the quality of their friends.

Ask yourself: Will I sit idly by and merely appreciate the life’s work of an artist I know, or will I do something to help them and make society a better place?

A few tips on artist friendship:

-          Begin by acquiring their work and experiencing it first hand. 

-          You could also host an event, showcasing their work.

-          If you have acquaintances who work in or run galleries or other venues you could make a pitch for them (you have no idea how impossible it is for an artist to pitch their own work). 

-          When you have people over for social occasions, you could be sure to mention the work in your home and encourage others to check it out. 

-          When you attend other artist openings or museum exhibitions, you could talk about your friends’ work.

So don’t just press “Like” and forget about it.  Pressing “Like” and being social media “friends” isn’t really making friends with an artist.  If you don’t own even a print of a painter, you’re not their friend.