How to Select And Display Artwork In Your New Home
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And that is also true for artwork. If you ask what is good artwork, you will get many differing opinions. The reason for this is that there is no objectively good artwork. It's a subjective experience.
Some people might try to explain that a certain piece of art is better than another piece of art, but that person might be trying to sell you on the artwork! Of course, art galleries want to drive up the prices of the art that they showcase, whether particular pieces or particular artists. What you have to pay attention to is whether you like it or not!
Therefore, since your perception of artwork is the one that matters, here is the relevant question... How do you choose and display the artwork for your home?
Consider Preferences and Interior Design
Realistically, there are two effective ways you can go about deciding on the artwork you want to purchase. You can either find some artwork that appeals to you because of your own personal reasons, or you can look for artwork that will blend in nicely with your existing interior design.
Both of these methods of choosing are equally valid. Some people might look at the bare walls of their home and think they ought to find some artwork that reflects their personality. Other people might look at their house as a place to live and they don't want to put in much thought. While others will want to carefully consider each piece and how it relates to the next.
If your search for artwork is for personal reasons, it's usually a pretty easy buying decision. You can simply purchase a new piece because you like the way it looks. Or maybe it's not the appearance, but rather you like the piece because it was made for you by a family member or friend. Or maybe you come across something that recalls memory of friends, family, or some significant event. There are likely as many different reasons as there are different people.
Of course, if your decision to buy a piece of artwork requires interior design considerations, then it might be important to learn about the various styles and even eras of history. Then you can consider how well your choices go together artistically. For example, you might not want to hang a picture of modern art in a room that features other pieces in a Neo-Victorian style. Yikes!
Picking the Best Area for Display
Sometimes your choice of where to put something will be kind of obvious. For example, you would not want to put a fragile antique vase in an area where children can be playing. Likewise, if you have a piece of art that is somewhat disturbing you probably should not feature it in an area that might cause others to squirm when they see it. (Of course, if making others uncomfortable is your goal for art, then do what you must.) These are rather common sense ideas.
But what is a good idea, is to decide which piece will be the center-piece for a room. Typically, the center-piece will be a somewhat larger piece of artwork. Or it might be something that is pretty good at capturing people's attention. And, as the center-piece, it makes sense if you decide to put it in a rather prominent position, front and center. Often time, people will decide to put a key piece of artwork above their television, but that's not always best. You might want to pick a different location if there's another place that's more prominent. It doesn't seem like a good idea to me to force the artwork to compete with the television.
Once the main piece of artwork for a room is established, then the other pieces of art in the room can complement the center-piece. These supporting pieces should be smaller than the center-piece and they should not be as eager to grab attention, otherwise people will have the sensation that the room is too busy, or crowded, or even overwhelming. Often it is easiest to find and display pieces of complimentary artwork when you are selecting artwork as a portion of your interior design. But even if you are displaying some art just because you enjoy it, it's still quite possible to create a pleasing experience.
The last tip I want to share with you about decorating your house is that you try to avoid putting too many different pieces of artwork too close together. It doesn't look very good when there is too much stuff in too little space. This will give that impression of crowding.
And now, to contradict just about everything I have already written, the reality is that it is up to you to find and display your artwork in a way that is pleasing to you. After all, we are talking about your own artwork placed in your own home. Do what makes you happy. But if you are here looking for some art placement tips, that's what I have given you here. It's not really all that difficult. Just keep looking for things you like, and keep in mind that there are other who will not like it. Even if you organize and display your art perfectly, it will not fit everyone's tastes. But that's okay. It's your house, so if it's pleasing to you, it's good enough.