Art Diaries: Teil Duncan Print
I believe that every home should have art; it should be art that makes you think and feel something. At some point in my life I decided to collect art. Not as some way to invest money in hopes that a piece I choose is from an undiscovered Picasso, but for something more meaningful. I want art that resonates with me because it’s good for the soul. Because I’m new to this and have no idea what I’m doing, I thought that I would share my experiences piece-by-piece. So welcome to my art diaries.
The first painting that I ever really loved was The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse. I saw it in the Tate Britain while I was studying abroad. I had seen art before in other museums and in history books, but this piece was the first to ever really enrapture me. The rest of the group moved on from the room, while I paused for a beat. The painting was so ethereal, but somehow heavy at the same time, that it held me there in that moment. I left the museum with one of the souvenir prints and it was on the wall in my room all the way through college.
Later on in college, I had an internship where a chunk of my time was devoted to researching artists as well as reaching out to them and pricing their work to help build a collection. It was a revelation for me. Before then I knew art in three ways; mass produced copies that you pick up at your local home goods store; local art fairs leaving me with no idea where to start; and exorbitantly priced auction pieces. That experience taught me that art comes in every space in between. It also taught me that learning what you like is a process, but once you know, there will always be something that falls within your budget.
Armed with that knowledge, I was almost ready to start collecting for myself, but not quite. I was still living my college life with my college budget. I decided to take my time and wait until I had a better idea of what I wanted, figure out what price points I was willing hit, and had wall that wasn’t in a campus apartment. Two years and a bit later, I was ready.
I first saw Teil Duncan’s work on Instagram a few years ago, which is probably the most millennial thing ever, and I immediately knew that I wanted one of her pieces. I have really liked her flower crown girls and her figure series and have been waiting for what seemed like the right moment. After recently deciding to stay in my current place for another year, I knew that now was the time.
Even though I hadn’t been positioned to buy before, I usually check back in on her website pretty regularly and I also follow her on Instagram. So once the decision was made to buy I knew that a piece from her would be first. I wanted a print since it would be my first foray into this this art-collecting thing. Which is lucky for me because her originals get snapped up pretty quickly. Her works are reality in bold color but to me also have a dreamy and effervescent feel. I definitely know that an original will be in my future.
