What it means to be an art advisor?
With art collection on the rise and the intricacies that make up an art sale, all players – new and seasoned – need to be advised accurately by a knowledgeable third party. This is where an art advisor comes in.
What is an art advisor?
By definition, an art advisor is a connoisseur with the eye to tell you that the Matisse you want to buy is authentic. Sotheby’s says an advisor is usually someone who “has held positions at an art gallery, a museum, an auction house, or another art institution, or has received substantive education about art history and the art market”.
A good art advisor is someone who will look at the broad state of the art market before advising clients. Many will agree that someone skilled knows not only how to deliver what was asked of them but also how to challenge a client’s thinking so as to help tastes evolve.
What does an art advisor do?
Being an art advisor is a full-time job for someone like Rosemont Art Advisory’s Karolina Blasiak – who will usually provide clients with a “wall-to-wall, nail-to-nail service”. What this means is that she will not only bring an “aesthetic and intellectual education”, but also arrange shipping, customs, insurance and installation services.
The job is quite hands-on, as Blasiak is tasked with getting investors away from the office and putting them in front of the artwork. She said: “We target a series of museums and gallery exhibitions to visit with the clients and then continue the process by accompanying our clients to international art fairs and auction previews.”
But this is natural, as an art purchase is considerably different to that of a financial product. “Investors must dare an ‘alternative’ investment”, she said, in an interview earlier this year.
While Blasiak asserts that there is a 50-50 split between clients buying to collect and those buying as an investment, Claire McCaslin-Brown, of McCaslin Art Advisory, says many current buyers belong to a third category. These buyers do not consider themselves to be art collectors but are also not looking at it as an investment.
“It’s both – it’s an artist that a collector responds to and feels excited to own, but is also a good investment for hard times, when they might need to sell or get a loan against,” — said McCaslin-Brown.
Young collectors and first-time buyers
With the numbers of younger collectors increasing in the different markets, art advisors can have a crucial role to play in this emerging demographic.
One collector will often have very different needs to the next, says Lise Arlot, co-founder and art director, Feral Horses.
“The set of tasks that an art advisor conducts is very broad and framing each need is critical. From decorating a space to helping a new buyer get their ideal artworks, in line with the philosophical basis of their collection,” — said Arlot.
What to look for as a client?
A lot of collectors and investors are often seeking to talk to someone who knows art. “It sounds very basic, but a lot of art investors want to ask questions and discuss art.” This process can be quite helpful, says McCaslin-Brown, in understanding the kind of art forms and artists her clients respond to.
“By talking to me, they also get an entry point into this world that can seem very inaccessible and whose workings you need time to understand.” - Claire McCaslin-Brown.
This article appeared in “Private Art Investor” in November, 2019