A new exhibition of original art by Burnley artist Liam Spencer will be displayed as part of Contemporary Six – The Gallery’s first anniversary show. (Thursday 1 December 5:30 – 8.00pm)

The nine original paintings include some of Spencer’s iconic Mancunian Way cityscapes.

Alex Reuben, owner of Contemporary Six says: “Spencer’s work is highly sought after with some of his work on permanent display at the Manchester Art Gallery.  I am excited to be able to bring these pieces to a new audience of art lovers and collectors.”

The one year anniversary show at Contemporary Six – The Gallery in the Royal Exchange Arcade, Manchester also features new paintings, screen prints, charcoal drawings and sculptures by local artists, Rob Wilson, Jean Hobson, Tony Wilson, Jane Waksman and Sandra Orme.

The show runs up to the New Year with an open evening and opportunity to meet some of the artists on Thursday 1 December from 5:30 – 8:00pm. For further information please visit www.contemporarysix.co.uk  or contact Alex on 0161 835 2666 or email info@contemporarysix.co.uk

Every day a number of people from differing art backgrounds visit the gallery; art novices, people wanting to take the step from buying prints to buying original art (there’s nothing wrong with buying prints though!) and regular art buyers and collectors. From time to time people ask me what to look for when purchasing art and since I can’t sleep I thought now was a perfect time to address the question, this is not to say I ignore people when they ask me this and wait till I can’t sleep to answer!

Often when people ask the question, it is usually a way of asking, “how do I buy artwork which will increase in value?” Now unless you find a hidden Picasso in your local antiques shop, finding a painting or sculpture which will increase in value dramatically is not easy, but finding work which holds its value or will increase over time is certainly more achievable.

Artwork like jewellery is a great investment, not only do you get to live with something beautiful (or ugly, depending on taste!) but also when you fancy a change if you have bought wisely you should be able to at least make your money back – if only selling your five-year old car worked in the same way!

So now time for my ten magical tips to help you purchase original art:

1. Artwork will only be profitable if you are able to resell the work, so make sure to check the quality of the art; for example, is the artwork signed? Check for any damage to the piece and don’t forget to examine the frame (although this can be changed, it’s worth taking a quick look, if you notice a week after the purchase that there’s damage you may struggle to get a refund!)

2. Who is the artist? The chances are they will not be present at the gallery, so it’s well worth asking the gallery owner or checking on the Internet for more information: How old is the artist? Where are they from? Is the artist well known? Is this piece of work typical of the artist? and how many pieces of art do they create a year?  These are all important questions and are worth taking a closer look at:

How old is the artist? Is the artist still living? Buying artwork from a younger artist is of course more risky as their career could go in any direction but it does mean you will usually be buying work at the artist’s lowest price so there is an opportunity for a huge profit.  When buying work from an older artist it is easy to identify patterns and trends in terms of their prices over time and when an artist dies it will push the price of their work higher.

Is the artist well known? I think that question speaks for itself!

How many pieces does the artist create a year? This might help the buyer appreciate how the price is determined. If you have a basic grasp of supply and demand you will understand if the artist creates 10,000 paintings a year they are less likely to significantly increase in value.

Of course there are hundreds of other valid questions you can ask but I don’t want to bore you all too much.

3. The artists’ C.V. is hugely important.  The significance of provenance cannot be underestimated. Which art school did they attend? Where have they exhibited? Are they affiliated to any art groups? Who owns their work? Have they won prizes and awards? Which private collectors have bought their work? Have they exhibited in any public collections or solo shows? The more impressive the C.V. the better opportunity you have of finding a good investment.

4. Make sure the work comes with a certificate of authenticity. This is extremely important; it means that you have proof that the artwork is an original and this is essential if you choose to sell the work.  Nowadays more fakes are entering the market, especially online, so insist on a certificate.

5. Check the space you have in mind in your home or place of work is right for the piece; remember that when viewing artwork in a gallery, it can often seem smaller than you think due to high ceilings and large white walls.  On the other side of the coin make sure the artwork is large enough to fill your wall, you don’t want to buy a piece that will look insignificant when hung.

6. Take your time.  When dealing with some galleries you can feel rushed and might feel forced into making decisions quicker than you would like, visit the gallery a number of times if necessary to be certain.  Make sure you look around and see what’s on offer.  Once you have spent your money on a piece that represents a large investment, it may mean waiting some time before your next purchase, so it’s worth taking your time and purchasing the right piece for you.

7. If you are buying sculptures consider where in your home they will be situated; you don’t want a ceramic piece getting knocked over and if you have pets it’s definitely worth thinking about!  Of what material is the sculpture made? You need to find out how best to look after the sculpture, will the material change over time? Sculptures made from wood will often crack if not looked after properly.

8. Don’t forget additional costs!!!

• You don’t want to purchase a sculpture for £300 and then find out a decent plinth might cost just as much!
• If a piece isn’t framed you might get a shock when visiting the framers!
• If the piece doesn’t fit in your car, you will have to consider paying a courier charge or a man with a van!
• If the piece is difficult to hang you might have to consider hiring a joiner to hang the work for you!

9. If you love the piece, buy it.  If it makes you happy and you would get pleasure from the piece daily then it’s right for you.  I have written a lot about investment but you can’t put a price on happiness and therefore the piece is beyond value.

10. Visit Contemporary Six in the Royal Exchange Arcade in Manchester City Centre and have a chat with me.  The Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm.

I look forward to meeting you all!

Alex

Gordon Burns excites the crowd!

Rod Kippen

Danny Cawley's art

Rob Wilson talking about his art

Contemporary Six logo

Jean Hobson talking about her art

A view from outside the gallery

Jean Hobson's art

Nigel Walker - Piccadilly Gardens

CONTEMPORARY SIX requests the pleasure of your company to meet the artists for the preview of ‘MancArt‘ a two week exhibition of new work depicting the different aspects of Manchester as well as original work by Manchester artists on Wednesday 18 May at Contemporary Six, Unit 6, The Royal Exchange Arcade, Manchester from 5.00pm – 7.30pm.

Award winning mixed-media artist Rob Wilson’s pieces capture Manchester’s landmarks and streetscapes and feature alongside work by rock’n'roll artist Danny Cawley; water-colourist and printer Jean Hobson has produced a series of paintings, prints and drawings which sympathetically record the places that have captured her imagination and which she feels form a unique view of Manchester and graphic photographer Rod Kippen has captured the different face of the City of Manchester.

Originals as well as a small number of limited edition prints will be available to purchase,  with prices starting from £40.

Coronation Street stars are going under the hammer to raise money for a charitable project run by the ‘Shoestring Theatre Company’, an organisation set up by actor Steve Huison who plays the soaps Eddie Windass.

Steve has drawn a collection of twenty charcoal portraits of current cast members and will be putting them up for auction on Thursday 17th February. It may come as a shock to viewers but off screen Steve has been drawing for quite some time and is a talented artist, with one of his paintings of Alan Halsall (Tyrone) hanging in the Coronation Street green room.

Steve says “I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil! With these portraits I was aiming to reveal the person behind the character. All of us in the ‘Street’ are fortunate enough to have become household names due to the show’s popularity but not many of the fans know much about the actor behind the role, for example: where we started out, what we like, how we spend our spare time? These portraits not only show the profile of the actor but also try to retrieve some of their inner soul using autobiographical information alongside it to give a fuller picture.”

The collection is a fitting tribute to the soap which is celebrating its 50th year and as Steve leaves the show in March, it was a good way for him to say farewell to the show where he has played the role of loveable rogue Eddie Windass for over 2 years.

The portraits will be on show at the Contemporary Six Gallery in the Royal Exchange Arcade between 14th-17th February, giving members of the public the opportunity to place bids on them. On the auction night of the 17th Steve will then be joined by some of the famous faces he has drawn to help encourage bidders to put their hands in their pockets for a good cause.

Boyzone’s Keith Duffy, who plays Corrie’s Cieran McCarthy, will be taking on the role of auctioneer plus guests will be served drinks by a real Rovers Return barmaid, actress Michelle Keegan who plays Tina McIntyre.