How to make sure artwork is credible. An art work’s proof of credibility can take various kinds, from certification of authenticity, billings, signatures to exhibition catalogues etc. How will you make sure what you are buying is genuine? And not something that is a replica of original works. The collector in today’s day when fake and cheap art is available in abundance to need to make sure the art they are buying is authentic and has the potential for resale and appreciation.
Whether you are experienced are a collector or making your first art purchase knowing some of the facts mentioned below will help in your art selection process.
Invest carefully:
You will see that the artists that tend to leave a lasting mark in art history have sustainable careers, they might grow slowly over time but will have important and influential bodies of work. There are many examples, such as Kader Attia, Daniel Ashram and more. They will have a proven track record of exhibitions and collection purchases. They stay faithful to their interests and explore their ideas to the fullest. In simple words, they are not one night wonders. If caught in the affordable phase, their work might not pay off quickly, but in a wider context – it will prove itself much more valuable than a hot buy.
Buying directly from the artist or the gallery
The artwork that is being sold for the first time directly through the artist of the representative gallery, you will certainly wish to save a few papers that trace the artwork back to the artist– as you might require this paperwork if you choose to re-sell or give away the piece in the future.
The Billing
When you buy an artwork, the artist or gallery will certainly send you an invoice, which acts as your enduring document of the sale.
Normally for the signed artwork, there will certainly be little question that the job is authentic. In these situations, you will only require to save the billing as your evidence of authenticity. However, all my Limited Edition pieces having 20 edition or less, I issue a Certificate of authenticity.
Certification of Authenticity
Certification of Authenticity (COA) is an authorised record in determining an artwork’s origin, with the certificate declaring that the work was indeed created by me and the certificate also has other important information pertaining to quality and process of the artwork. COA is also proof that the work you are interested in is worth investing in, it could be worth a lot of money one day.
The certification will contain the following information
Artist, Series Title, Work Title, Medium, Size, Year of Creation, Edition Number, Artist proofs, Edition Size, Date of Print, the image of the artwork and if it is part of the series, then a description of the work and the series for any future reference.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to provide clarification.