Hey art collectors, Bluethumb is a seriously good contemporary online art place with the kind of art you would usually only find at art shows and auctions that opens the art world to all of us.
The website launched in 2011 and has assembled more than 1000 established and emerging artists under one cyber roof, selling art directly from artists studios to buyers, including Archibald prize winners, while also fulfilling transactions (including payment and insurance). There’s a curated gallery of leading photographers to buyers with prices starting from a few hundred dollars.
It used to be intimidating turf to novices, even those who think they know what they like, but don’t necessarily know if their paintings, sculptures, photographs and multimedia installations will appreciate in value.
Australia’s biggest online marketplace is seeking to streamline the process for both beginners and established collectors, spanning stylistic qualities and artistic influences.
The collective collecting logic: welcome a broader (and younger) audience by opening the online gallery doors to everyone with categories for abstract, aboriginal, still life, pop, landscapes, oils, drawings, mixed media.
One approach we favour is to examine less popular categories. Paintings by early career contemporary artists generally go from $500 to $900. The untapped market lies in more experimental work but the burden of researching the artist is on the buyer. In essence, if you like the painting and artist, you may as well take the plunge. We love the core of the venture, its populist approach – and the chance to snag an abstract oil for a song, that you can enjoy which you may not have been able to have afforded otherwise. BLUE THUMB, bluethumb.com.au
