Video Art

Andy Dinan is an art addict and owner of MARS gallery in Victoria. She is a regular contributor to woman with drive – these are her thoughts and longings on the gallery industry, art collecting and art issues.

Trends come and go – even in the art world. But the medium of the moment is video and one that may certainly be here to stay. woman with drive has enlisted the help of Melbourne gallerist and art-enthusiast, Andy Dinan, to shed some light on this emerging new trend.

After spending a month earlier in the year looking at the art galleries of New York, it was clear to Andy that video was the new medium. With so many artists working in video, it is a must-have to collect and show – as it best medium to reflect the thinking and feeling of the now.

Here are some tips on why and how to collect video art:

1. Make sure you ask questions. Such as, what is the edition size? Does the work come with a certificate of authenticity? Is the gallery you are purchasing from an Australian Commercial Gallery Association gallery? Are editions priced differently? Can the work be pirated? Does it come in a case?

2. Don’t be frightened to watch it again and again to see how you respond with time. Repeat watching to see what the work reveals over time to you personally and others who will share your space.

3. Why collect video? It’s a way to start collecting art that is affordable – emerging artists are keen to have the medium taken up so it’s a way to very cost effectively acquire some big international video names and some emerging names you are drawn to at a most cost effective collecting price.

4. Keep your eyes open for local video artists – Simon Pericich, Brie Trenerry and Brendan Lee – all have been showing internationally this year but remain unknown locally, therefore cheaper to buy now and will yield more later.

5. How do you show the video? There are plenty of ways to display artwork. You could have it continually on loop on that huge TV in the room that remains continually un-used. It could be projected on to your swimming pool. It could sit in a small DVD player on your book shelf, coffee table or a special plinth in your entrance hall. Or it could play after dinner to your family and friends.

6. Is video art just for the avid collectors? There is no doubt that collectors who have huge collections of traditional mediums such as sculpture and paintings are turning to this new medium. It may be because they are searching for the new big thing or instead because it is the medium of the future that a trained eye responds to. Only time will tell.

At the end of the day, a piece of art that makes a lasting impression on you is one you will want to own and share, and that is what art is all about.

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