The right art for the right space

Always select works that appeal to you personally and that's just the first step.

Purchasing a work of art is an immensely satisfying experience; it ought to give you a sense of joy and excitement every time you see it as part of your home or office. Your environs are a reflection of your individuality and the art must contribute to it, complementing the architecture, design and your sensibilities. It is essential to buy art that you can relate to and enjoy looking at, rather than one that is bought at the recommendation of another person, even if it is your architect or interior designer.

Always select art, which engages you on a personal level and see how you relate to it — its content, colours and overall aesthetics. To see how it would appear on displaying, there are applications that allow you to visualise the artwork in a particular space and you can then see how it interacts with other architectural and design elements. There might be an inclination to match colours in the paintings with the décor scheme, but this is not necessary. Ideally, the painting or the artwork should be of primary concern and then it should be ‘allowed’ to fit in the décor appropriately. However, physical limitations, such as size of the artwork and the available space, do matter and must be kept in mind.

Colour wheel

In terms of colour, complementary or contrasting ones work well in the entire décor. For instance, a dominant colour in the artwork could be repeated judiciously to ensure that the result is harmonious.

Or, you could allow the art to form an interesting highlight when it is in a contrasting colour. Referring to the colour wheel in selecting colours might act as a useful guide.

A single large painting or sculpture works well as a standalone piece and having too many smaller pieces in close proximity clutters the space and affects the impact of the art. However, when you have several small works, these can be grouped according to a theme or any other common thread and can be displayed on a separate wall.

A common strand could be a series of works by the same artist or a collection that you have put together based on a common style, colour or pattern.

Lighting

Finally, lighting plays a significant role in ensuring the art is displayed to its advantage. Light and shadow effects make it more dramatic and add to the impact of the artwork. This can be done using a combination of concealed lighting and spotlights in the form of recessed lights in a false ceiling, track lights, accent lamps and wall washers. Keep the frame in mind when selecting the light so that shadows are minimised for oil and acrylic paintings on canvas. Glass tends to reflect the light, so you will need to adjust the angle of illumination accordingly. Also, ensure that the bulbs do not produce heat, else that can damage the artworks.

The author is a Bangalore-based art consultant, curator and writer. She blogs at Art Scene India and can be reached on [e-mail]

Dab Hand is your fortnightly art world low-down. It will tell you all about what fresh ideas are out there, what to collect and what to admire from afar. And, of course, what not to.