As I mentioned yesterday, Don ventured out to collect the newest addition to our art collection. Given that it wouldn’t fit in GerryScotti (despite Don’s best efforts), we briefly considered hiring a maxi-taxi to collect it, but then decided on a ute from Balmain Rentals, which ended up being much cheaper than a maxi-taxi or a courier.

I should probably back up a bit and talk about the latest unplanned art acquisition (although, to be honest, they’ve all been unplanned). After last year’s success (or eXtreme eXtravagance) at Art Sydney, we again bought tix to the opening night, with the intention of Not Buying a Single Thing – what with the cultural fund (we set aside $100 per pay for such things) being completely and utterly bare after the last purchase

We watched a rather good programme on ABC2 a couple of weeks ago about the crash of the art market and the crash was totally in evidence on opening night (slightly delayed GFC, obv.). Certain galleries (including those we bought from last year) were definitely conspicuous by their absence. Some of the paintings we recognised from their appearance last year. The minimum price was around $100 ($800 last year), average was about $5K (was circa $15K last year) and the highest price was much, much less. Let us not even go into the commercial turn the event has taken . Last year, you truly could not move for people, this year was sparse by comparison – alcohol ran out by 7.30pm last year, this year still loads left by the time we left (I guess, maybe 8.30pm). Loads of art-sluts last year, while there were a couple of art-sluts in 2009, most people were accompanied by babies (definitely the accessory of the season). Anyway, all this goes to say that last year and this were definitely a study in contrasts.

So, we were definitely sticking hard to the No Art Buying plan, until my lovely husband fell in love with Jeni Saeyang. The more we went back to check her work out, the more I liked her too. And a comparative bargain compared to what we’ve paid for our other art. How could we resist?

Don, for scale.
Yes, I know it is derivative (abstract expressionism anyone?) but I really do like it quite a lot. And Jeni is totally gorgeous. I love meeting the artists I buy from.

Now we have no walls left. We either need to buy sculpture (so much heinousness out there and not a lot of the good, unless we want to go Over seas (so wonderful) or move to a new haus if we want to continue the acquisitions (or, more sensibly, channel the art fund into a mortgage fund).

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