With the current need to innovate and be up to date, it seems that certain materials, once traditional, are condemned to oblivion. Gone are the natural pigments made by the artist himself and linen cloths on which the painter applies his primer mixture are increasingly scarce.

However, some creators are reluctant to leave aside elements that have always been present in the art world and in which they find their source of inspiration, as it is the case with patterned fabrics. As a kind of revival of remnants taken from the memory chest, the floral motifs and textures offered by these elements represent a return to an earlier, more traditional era, in which everything demanded time and things went at a lower speed.

Pierre Louis Geldenhuys

Mágica I, 2017

Tessellation and wild silk in light box

95 x 95cm

Pierre Louis Geldenhuys

Nenúfares, 2017

Wild silk and light box

111.5 x 111.5cm

This is the case of Pierre Louis Geldenhuys, who defines himself as a textile artist, as well as being an haute couture designer. His work is an elegant combination of transparencies, textures, volumes and light boxes to create incredible contrast effects that make drawings with the fabric. It is easy to abstract oneself and think that we are before pieces painted on wood board or methacrylate, however, each stroke and shape is a fold of cloth meticulously folded and designed to compose a structure of silk, linen or cotton.

Another artist clearly influenced by the fashion world and who incorporates those references to her works is Paz Barreiro. Her pieces convey that ideal atmosphere of the summertime in which afternoons passed by on the shore of a beach or reading on the grass. But the positivity and joy of her compositions are due to a large extent to the choice of backgrounds, which resemble collages of cutouts superimposed of floral and dotted patterns, something that recalls the aesthetics of the 50s.

By using printed fabrics on the wall and the body of her models, Cecilia Paredes builds an infinite discourse to reflect on the relationship of the human being with nature. Some of her most representative photographs are the result of a previous creation calculated, measured and staged, from which the image remains. With this game of positions between the different planes, Cecilia manages to mimic the figures with their surroundings, as if they were one more element of that colourful and exuberant nature of the fabrics she uses.

The work of Ana Teresa Barboza develops among threads and embroidery frames, with needle and thimble. This artist has explored different themes with a powerful visual impact, despite using such modest materials in her work. The concern for the natural environment, domestic violence, urban growth, are some of the projects of this Peruvian artist who extends the possibilities of these materials and gives them a new meaning.

Buying the first work of art always instils respect. A difficult feeling to define that mixes vertigo with adrenaline. But over uncertainty and caution, a pleasurable sense of connection, understanding, and desire prevails. That work that, once seen, stays in the mind, reappears in the memory several times a day and seems to tell you that it is willing to be part of your home, is the perfect candidate to make the decision.

In the first steps, many collectors do point out that one does not start from an established plan, but rather that one acquires pieces based on taste and the connection one feels with them until, after time, they realise that the volume of works that accumulates can be labelled as a "collection". For example, this is how Alicia Aza explains it:

“I was not aware that I was collecting until many years later when a third party named me as a collector and talked about my collection. In 2005, I became aware of what collecting means and decided to articulate a collection with an identity of criteria and formats”.

Marcos Martín Blanco, co-founder, with his wife Elena Rueda, of the MER Collection, shares this same opinion:

“Collecting has been a passion, driven by a visceral state that encourages you to do so. The collection, in terms of acquisitions, has not been particularly complicated because, let's face it: it is easy to buy because they are all beautiful things and you have some clear idea of where you want to go, but at first those preferences were not so clear. It is with the time that a criterion is being formed”.

It is not always this way, of course, but for the buyer who starts out on this path, the personal connection that entails the first piece is essential. There it is the germ of a lasting relationship that is not limited to a simple aesthetic question but is an open window to knowledge, to exploration, to a world that is often unknown to us and awakens our fascination. The seed of that connection is purely sentimental, and it is precisely this impulse that determines the first acquisitions. The first piece is never forgotten.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Ana Maqueda

Exceeding the usual recommendations made by advisers and agents, rare is the occasion when the art lover decides to buy by pure investment. These paths usually open later, when the volume of pieces is large enough. In addition, there are those who are a bit against this classic concept of the traditional collector, approached from an eccentric, elitist and little accessible vision. On the contrary, art buyers are, above all, art lovers, sentient beings and permeable to creative stimulus who, at a given moment, decide to deepen the relationship they already have with art to take a piece home.

It is not that hard to overcome that small psychological barrier that turns the visitor into a buyer if one approaches the matter from a more personal and intimate perspective than from social consideration. Small-format works, graphic work or serial photography are of great help for this, whose price range, generally more affordable, allows a closer comparison to the daily basis expenses. In this way, the purchase of art falls within the range of feasible activities and becomes something close and possible.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Marc Cisneros

At that moment, a different relationship with art begins, based on pure experience and coexistence with the acquired piece. Perhaps it can be seen as an act of daring, but on many occasions, it is more a matter of necessity and transformation. Collectors also agree that the acquisition of an artwork is an exercise on personal analysis and opening up to a new field of knowledge that was previously alien to us. Alicia Aza explains that the reason she acquired her first piece of video art, by Sergio Prego, is because she did not understand it and because she saw it as a challenge and an opportunity to self-improve. This open window to knowledge creates new connections and bonds with creators, as one of the most fascinating parts of the process. Candela Álvarez Soldevilla explains that

"I think the most interesting thing in the art world is talking to artists. They are people with a special sensitivity to listen and understand.”

And Alicia Aza also says:

"I can share the satisfaction of being able to count on many artists in my circle of close friends today, and that is a long way to go."

Thus, with works that seem acceptable within the horizon of expenses that each one considers affordable, it is easy to find a piece that catches us. Since then, our home also evolves into a space in which art has a permanent place and presence, and there is no doubt that this transforms us inside.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Henar Herguera

Jaime Sordo, owner of Los Bragales collection and founder of the 9915 Contemporary Art Collectors Association, has always defined his relationship with art as a true passion and a vital necessity. For buyers who start on this path, he has the following recommendation:

“It is an essential condition that they feel the need to live with their passion to enjoy the works. Another very important aspect is that before making decisions for purchases, they are informed, so it is necessary to read specialised newspapers and books, visit exhibitions and museums and a lot of contact with galleries, which is an important and very specific source of information of the artists they represent. Finally, the presence in national and international art fairs. All this generates information and training.”

Indeed, fairs have become a good place for discovery because they condense a wide offer and allow diverse and global contact in a concentrated way. For this reason, many new generation buyers start in the context of an event such as Art Madrid, whose closeness and quality constitute a unique opportunity to meet, soak up and feed the passion for art.

(*) quotes taken from various interviews published in public media between 2013 and 2019.