- We often ask: Why do we collect art?
- It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer.
- Unlike collecting objects such as coins, art collecting isn’t purely about accumulation.
- Memories and emotional connections matter more than the objects themselves.
- Sometimes it’s hard to explain our motivation because we fear getting it “wrong.”
- People collect for many reasons:
- Institutional preservation (libraries, museums).
- Wealth and status, and investment.
- Psychological compulsion.
- Yet most collectors don’t identify with any single one of these motivations.
- The myth of the “cultural patron”:
- Artists often imagine collectors as patrons advancing art history.
- Surveys show most collectors don’t cite cultural enrichment as a motivation.
- What research suggests instead:
- Collecting is closely tied to self-identity.
- It fosters connection, community, and communication.
- Collections educate us, comfort us, and carry personal meaning.
- Sharing collections helps connect with others who share our values.
- Circumstances vs. choice:
- Purchases may be tied to events, places, artists, or moments.
- But among many options, one piece is chosen.
- That choice reveals something deeper than circumstance.
- A personal realization:
- Collecting is less about ownership and more about recognition.
- A work reflects something back we didn’t know we were seeking.
- Understanding our personal “why” brings clarity to how we collect and live with art.
- Early impactful art experiences:
- Childhood exposure to unsettling Caribbean portraits at a grandmother’s home.
- These made an impression, but don’t “count.”
- An interesting observation about collectors:
- While writing a book on collecting art, many interviewees refused the label “art collector.”
- Even those with homes full of artwork didn’t identify that way.
- Collecting, for many, is personal—quiet, intuitive, and deeply human.
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John Bishop Fine Art is an art business run by visual artist John Bishop. John is an abstract painter and illustrator, a blogger, a vlogger, podcaster, and creative writer. He has authored several children's zines and books, as well as co authored books on photography, and art business themes. He maintains a studio at Silver Street Studios in Houston. John posts a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between art enthusiasts of all sorts. John's art explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. Join the conversation, the community, and share the journey together.
John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart
John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joh
