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The Sun Herald, Sunday, 24 April, 2005
Extract from "Collective Behaviour" by Joanna Bounds
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Another young collector, Carli Philips, 22, who
is a media and communications student at the
University of Melbourne, still lives at home with
her mum, but that hasn't stopped her making her
first foray into the art world. So far she's purchased
two major works - Try This In The Forest #11
by Melbourne artist Rhys Lee, which hangs above
her bed, and Silver Fox by Gemma Jones.
Philips says she had to wait until she left school
and could start saving before making her first
purchase. And, she says, her age means she's not
always taken seriously. "I've been into countless
galleries where the curators haven't even looked
up from their desks when I walked in because
I'm so young. It's unfortunate, but purchasing art
from a gallery can be a very intimidating process."
She says she prefers to research artists on
the internet and by visiting galleries, rather than
making impulse buys, and says it's how they'll
look on her wall that excites her most. "There's a certain satisfaction in collecting and
accumulating pieces over time," she says. "You're
proud of them and there's the added bonus of how
they're going to look when they're displayed."
As a relative beginner in the ait world, Philips
decided to seek advice from an expert rather than
going it alone. She bought her two pieces from
Helen Gory at her gallery (www.helengory.com) in
Prahran, Vic. Gory provided some invaluable help. "Helen works with a lot of young, up-and-coming
artists, so she could relate to me," says Philips. "She was thrilled that someone from generation Y
was choosing to spend their money on a painting,
rather than on a plasma TV or video game. She helped me out when choosing a piece,
even though I knew what I liked. It was great to
have that help. She's very honest so I trusted her
completely. And it was extra beneficial for me
seeing as I wasn't an expert art buyer - I really
relied on that guidance."
So does that mean anyone can be an art
entrepreneur? Well, yes, if you do your homework.
Borham recommends visiting student exhibitions
at art schools (members of the public don't often
go but it can be arranged), poring over art
magazines - try Art & Australia, Art Monthly
Australia and Australian Art Collector - and, if
you come across an artist whose work you're
interested in, contact the curator for contemporary
art at your local gallery and ask them about the
artist and which galleries you might visit.
There's also the option of seeing an art
consultant who, for a fee, will give you advice
about which artists' work to buy. If you're a novice
buyer, their expertise and advice could save you
from making a costly mistake. .
Collector Carli Philips might be barely out of
her teens, but she says art collecting already
rules her world - so much so that she'd even sit
on the floor to look at her latest acquisitions. "When I move out of home, I'd gladly sacrifice
furniture to have my walls dripping with art."
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