Art Collector Daniel Braun @braunpowerlifting spoke with us about the most treasured artworks in his collection, what advice to give to young collectors starting out – and his top artwork picks from AucArt.
Art Collector Daniel Braun @braunpowerlifting spoke with us about the most treasured artworks in his collection, what advice to give to young collectors starting out – and his top artwork picks from AucArt.
How did you start collecting art?
My late mother, Julianna Borsa Braun, was an art critic in Canada. She exposed me to great art and taught me about it ever since I was a young child. Despite her efforts, I was not interested in art until adulthood. I actively questioned the usefulness of art, and as a child I failed to see it. When my mother fell gravely ill with cancer, I helped take care of her, and in the process I realized that asking her how she was feeling only reminded her of how ill she felt. So, to take her mind off of her illness, I thought I’d talk to her about art. To prevent her from thinking I was just humoring her though, I searched the internet for artistic genres that I personally found visually appealing, and came across street art, particularly by artists such as Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, and Shepard Fairey.
My mother and I ended up having some deeply meaningful conversations about art, which brought us great joy and solace during the most challenging time in our family’s life. I finally began to see just one of art’s many utilities, and to feel passionate about art. I began collecting art in 2009 when my mother passed away. I saw it as a way of keeping her memory alive in my life. Every time I acquire a new piece, I try to think about what she would have to say about it, and in the process, her lessons continue to speak to me.
What were the first and the latest artworks you purchased?
The first artwork I purchased was a small limited edition print by Mr. Brainwash in 2009 for $150, which I still have. The latest artwork is a large original canvas by Willem Hoeffnagel from his recent groupshow at Lorin Gallery, “All Together”.
What is your most treasured artwork?
It’s difficult to say because I treasure all of them. My mother taught me early on that a cardinal rule of acquiring art is to buy what you love, so my wife and I only collect artworks which we sincerely care about. That said, before my mother passed away, she gifted me a beautiful small canvas by the Czech-Canadian abstract painter, Joseph Drapell, and this is the artwork that is most sentimental to me.
What advice would you give to other collectors starting out?
I was fortunate to study with the late philospher Joseph Raz, who was also a gifted photographer. One day in class, a student asked him how he determined the quality of philosophical thought. He said that it was similar to assessing the quality of photography: look at a lot of it, and you will develop an eye for it. My advice to new collectors is to look at a lot of art. Eventually you’ll develop a feel for identifying art that is innovative, unique, well-executed, and meaningful. You’ll also develop your own tastes; sometimes the beauty of an artwork will fade for you over time, but in other instances, artwork that is at first aesthetically challenging can grow on you. I would also like to clarify that looking at a lot of art does not just mean looking at artworks by themselves, but rather at art in context. Here, the art community — consisting of the artists themselves, fellow collectors, and gallaries, lend critical context to the artworks and the roles they play in our lives today.
My mother taught me that it is not only okay, but a good thing to connect with living artists and learn from them the ideas behind their art and the techniques they explore. Finally, I would advise that it is fine to start small, for example, by beginning your collection with relatively inexpensive limited edition prints, and then working your way up to more major original artworks once you have deepened your knowledge, developed your tastes, and built some meaningful relationships in the art community.
Do you collect thematically?
When I first started collecting, I was primarily interested in street art. One of my most cherished artworks in my collection is by the father of stencil graffiti, Blek le Rat — an intricate, original triptych from 1986. Over the years though, my tastes have broadened, and I have primarily been collecting figurative art, more recently by emerging artists such as Willem Hoeffnagel, Suanjaya Kencut, Dennis Osadbe, Socko, and Nedia Were. There are many different themes within this genre, and I enjoy seeing how the various artworks, when juxtaposed with each other on our walls, interact within one another.
Favourite exhibition you’ve seen in the last year?
Last April, I particularly enjoyed Socko’s solo show, “My Playground” at Long Story Short NYC. It was a playful exhibit which included an interactive installation. The art was upbeat, but also vulnerable at the same time, inviting insight into some of Socko’s transformative life experiences via works with large eyes and thick textured paint. It was also a pleasure getting to meet Socko in person for the first time at that show. It always help when the artist happens to be very personable!
I began collecting art in 2009 when my mother passed away. I saw it as a way of keeping her memory alive in my life. Every time I acquire a new piece, I try to think about what she would have to say about it, and in the process, her lessons continue to speak to me.
I began collecting art in 2009 when my mother passed away. I saw it as a way of keeping her memory alive in my life. Every time I acquire a new piece, I try to think about what she would have to say about it, and in the process, her lessons continue to speak to me.
Ye Zhaofeng is a contemporary visual artist whose practice depicts themes surrounding our fast-growing society, the pace of life, and the pressures on the new generation of young people. Ye notes that we may have a lot of friends, and busy social lives, but there are always a lot of times people look lonely. This kind of life pressure, and the information electronic society development brings the loneliness, the human relations, is represented through his works.
Ed Kelly is a visual artist, designer and musician living and working in Dublin city, Ireland. He makes artworks that are primarily wall based relief pieces, part painting, part sculpture. Kelly’s work typically involves designing and making hand painted assemblages and constructions that begin with a specific limited set of recurring motifs. These process driven works explore a specific set of interplays between bold zones of colour, repetitive rhythmic patterns, hard edges and stark boundaries. His work is primarily abstract, minimalist and heavily influenced by his career in the creative industry as a graphic designer and creative director for agencies in Berlin and Dublin.
