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599 NINTH STREET NORTH SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637
ASK THE ARTSPERTS AUCTIONS VERSUS GALLERIES www.harmonmeek.com

by Juliana Meek and Kristine Meek

Dear Artsperts:

I went to a gallery and saw an artist that I really liked, but being new to
buying art I decided to research the artist online before purchasing from
the gallery. I was surprised that the prices were so much lower at auctions
than in the gallery.
Signed,
Going…Going…Gone

Dear Gone,
Most often works of art are brought to an auction house for sale because
of one of the eight “Ds.” Death, Divorce, Debt, Downsizing, Damaged
work, Disliking an earlier purchase, Deaccessioning from a museum, or
Disposing of a work garnered by an insurance company. The person or
entity in one of these eight categories will find that the immediate need to a work. Often you will be restricted to seeing a photo image
sell the work as quickly as possible outweighs the desire to realize the full of the work and you will have to worry about condition and
value of the work.
provenance since auctions are “buyer beware.” Some auction
So yes works will often houses will supply condition reports when requested.
sell for less at auction than
With a gallery that represents the artist or artist estate,
at a gallery. Artists work your experience will be far more pleasant and personal. You
with galleries to establish will have the luxury of selecting from several works of art by
prices which are based on
the artist. You can purchase immediately without having to
the reputation of the artist wait for the work you want to come up at auction. Often, you
coupled with national and
can try the work in your home before making a final decision.
sometimes international If it is a local purchase the art dealer will offer to deliver and
retail market factors. Retail hang the work for you in your home, even if the hanging is
markets refer to galleries.
over a stairwell, from a ceiling or over a mirror. With living
Auction prices are seen artists, you will be given the opportunity to meet the artist at
as wholesale and are not
an opening, artist talk, or dinner provided by the gallery. You
taken into consideration by will also receive a book about the artist, if available, with the
galleries. A sale price at auction represents the desirability of one particular purchase of a work.
work of art at one moment of time and relies on more than one individual
A gallery will go above and beyond to ensure your
bidding on the work. There could be many factors affecting the work’s happiness providing services that do not exist with auctions.
desirability, including questions of condition, provenance, or simply that Sincerely,
the work is not as strong as others in an artist’s body of work.
It is easy to find past auction records for any particular artist. It is not The Artsperts
so easy to stay vigilant to keep up with all of the auctions houses if you are
in search of a purchasing a particular artist at auction for the better prices.
It is further complicated if you only want a particular medium or subject
matter by the artist. It could be several years before the work you want
comes up at auction. Left: Bill Meek with the aid of Juliana hung these two Abe
Art is very personal. People build art collections based on how they Lincoln works fifteen feet above the floor on opposite sides
of a center fireplace in a private home in Naples.
can relate or connect with work on a personal level. Collecting through
purchases at auctions can severely limit this process of connecting with Right: Dinner with the artist

50 Life in Naples | May • June • July 2017