Art on Layaway

The Telegraph has a fabulous and inspiring article about the Own Art plan, a government program in England that offers interest-free loans to the public for the purpose of purchasing contemporary art. People are always wondering how they can get into collecting art, especially when most news stories about it focus on blockbuster multimillion-dollar sales of paintings by big-name artists, but this program allows even a retired dental nurse to own a David Hockney and a Damien Hirst, as the article makes clear. What's best about the initiative is the reactions of the people interviewed, who have a refreshing attitude toward contemporary art and, indeed, toward art in general.

“Life, for me, is an artwork. I’d rather drive around in an old banger and have amazing art on the wall. We’ve bought two pieces on the scheme, including the Hockney. In fact, we would have bought more if we’d found out about it sooner. We’re not buying art as an investment; we just really enjoy it. I believe that art is an expression of your personality and you should put your art up on the wall, not hide it away in a drawer. We’ve got a few thousand pounds worth of art in the house and we’re definitely going to buy more. I’ve certainly got no need for wallpaper as the walls will be covered.”

Check out the Own Art site here for more information. Too bad it's only in the UK!