Five Great Artists to Invest in for 2012

LONDON, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Collecting art can be an effective way to invest, while gaining something beautiful for your home. Before buying art, it's worth researching and seeking expert opinion to guide your investment. Art gallery and dealer artrepublic has identified five top artists with limited edition prints worth investing in this year.

1) Peter Blake

Sir Peter Blake has been a practicing artist since the 1950s, when he became one of Britain's leading pop artists. Blake's work is typically inspired by cultural icons and British culture. Some of Blake's most recognisable works have been created as artwork for the music industry, one of his most famous works is the iconic sleeve for the Beatles' album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. More recently, Blake redesigned the statue for the 2012 Brit Awards.

Due to Blake's established identity as a collectible artist, signed limited edition prints start with a minimum spend of approximately £1,000. A contemporary piece to look out for is a limited edition signed silk screen of 'Hope- Diamond Dust'. The word 'hope' is constructed from mismatched letters, the print is a 14 colour silkscreen with diamond dust, gold leaf, silver leaf, embossing and glazes.  

2) Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst is one of the best known British artists, who shot to fame in the 1990s with striking installation pieces such as 'The physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living', a shark preserved in formaldehyde. He was awarded the Turner prize in 1995. Recurring themes in Hirst's work include life-cycle, death and decay.

Hirst's popularity and low production quantities generally keep prices for limited edition prints at the high end of the price scale. However, more affordable limited edition signed butterfly prints from Hirst's 'Amazing Souls' series can be picked up for £3880. For limited edition signed photogravure etchings from Hirst's kaleidoscope-like 'Sanctum' series, prices start at approximately £12,000.

3) Jake Wood-Evans

Jake Wood-Evans mixes contemporary and classical art in his oil paintings, many of his recent works are influenced by Baroque art. Wood-Evans often combines repeating fleur-de-lis and images from nature with dark backgrounds.

Still a new name in the art world, buyers can pick up a limited edition signed print for a tenable £240. Potential investments for 2012 include a limited edition signed giclee and silkscreen of 'Rise of an Angel', depicting an angelic figure rising out of a cluster of roses against a dark background. Another print to investigate is a limited edition signed giclee of 'Reflection', featuring two hummingbirds hovering around a rose, with hints of the fleur-de-lis repeat emerging from a dark background.

4) Magnus Gjoen

Magnus Gjoen's art transforms destructive objects into images of fragility. Gjoen's work is entirely digitally created; the finished prints feature two dimensional representations of complex structures, overlaid with textures and patterns. Particularly striking images include 'Delft Grenade', depicting a porcelain hand grenade and 'Flower Machine Gun', featuring a floral printed machine gun. Gjoen merges influences from different genres, combining street art, pop art and renaissance images.

Buyers can pick up limited edition signed giclee prints starting at a very affordable £95, up to £950. Prints to look for in 2012 include limited edition signed giclee of 'Skull victory over ignorance'. The print depicts the profile of a human skull overlaid with Sebatiano Ricci's Allegory Of France As Minerva Or Wisdom Who Treads Ignorance Underfoot And Crowns Martial Virtue. A limited edition signed giclee print of 'Delft Launcher', featuring a porcelain rocket launcher, is another potential investment.

5) Stanley Donwood

Stanley Donwood is probably most recognised for the album artwork he has been creating for Radiohead since 1994, winning a Grammy for best packaging and artwork in 2001^[1]. Donwood takes inspiration from politics, society, sexuality, conformity and war^[2].

Signed limited edition prints by Donwood start at an affordable £150. Prints which continue to be sought after in 2012 include signed limited edition silkscreens of Donwood's 'L.A' and 'London'.  'L.A' was originally produced for Radiohead's 'Hail to the Thief' album. 'L.A' contains a collection of words inspired by album lyrics and the streets of Los Angeles, featuring a colour-way inspired by Donwood's observation that most advertising materials are based on a palette of just seven colours^[3].

Andrew Milledge of artrepublic comments, "Art can be a valuable investment as well as a great addition to your home. Limited edition signed prints by Peter Blake and Damien Hirst continue to be highly sought after. Buyers can collect more affordable prints from artists such as Jake Wood-Evans, Magnus Gjoen and Stanley Donwood, which will look stunning - and who knows - might prove rewarding in other ways too."

Andrew continues, "artrepublic is part of the Art Council's Own Art scheme, allowing buyers to spread the cost of an investment over 10 months, interest free, making art more affordable."

For more information on art prints and events, visit artrepublic

1. http://www.artrepublic.com/biographies/60-stanley-donwood.html

2. http://www.artrepublic.com/biographies/60-stanley-donwood.html

3. http://www.artrepublic.com/prints/15532-la-silkscreen-signed-limited-edition-of-100.html

SOURCE artrepublic