Waddington’s Monthly Art Auction, one of my all-time favorite Toronto sale opportunities, has moved online and taken all the fun and much of the assurance with it.
I would never buy art this way. In the past, I’ve been intrigued by an online pic only to be disappointed when I stood in front of the work at the auction preview. Digital photos and computer monitors have fluctuating and unpredictable colour values; often times a painting will turn out to be murkier or less saturated in person than it appears on screen.
I spoke to Waddington’s art expert Doug Payne who said I’d be welcome to see a work in person provided I called ahead to make an appointment and let them know which works to pull out from the back room. But certainly all the fun of the live auction is now gone.
Which is a terrible shame. By attending past previews I discovered works that didn’t even register with me online for one reason or another. Art is an emotional purchase and you need to be able to see and feel a piece before plunking your money down.
Waddington’s will save a bundle in labour costs on the sale but I predict that fewer punters will be interested now that all the blood has been drained out of the experience. Also, fewer artworks with higher estimates are now up for grabs — the formerly spectacularly low prices are history.
Online bidding opens this morning at 9 am and closes Thursday over the course of the day depending on lot number. Caveat emptor.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I know this was published quite some time ago, but I just stumbled on it now. I couldn’t agree more with the writer. Absolutely no fun any more.