ARTicles

ARTicles

All things art and art-world related! Read our collection of helpful how-to's, opinions, and stories right here at StateoftheART, your online destination to explore and buy contemporary art from South Africa.
  • From Blank Walls to Gallery Chic: How to Style Art Like a Pro
    Read our top tips for hanging and displaying different artworks together in your home to create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing display.
  • Top Framers in Cape Town
    A list of the Top 7 Framers in Cape Town, to have your original artwork professionally framed and ready to hang. We asked our artists to give their recommendations, so you have a wide range of options located around Cape Town - from the city centre to the south and northern suburbs!
  • How To Understand Art
    An article by Dr Laura-Jane Foley on how to understand Art and important advice for anyone wanting to visit galleries and enjoy looking at art.
  • Cape Town Art Galleries | Part 2
    Read the next part of our StateoftheART Gallery guide where we focus on Art Galleries to visit in the city centre of Cape Town.
  • How to Frame your Art
    Advice on framing your original artwork and choosing the right picture frame to suit your new fine art piece and your home. With tips provided by Artland!
  • Cape Town Art Galleries | Part I
    If you're visiting the Mother City and want to know the best art spaces to see the latest selection of original South African art from Cape Town - we have you covered! Read our guide to Cape Town Art Galleries, starting with the East City.
  • How To Buy Art As A Gift
    When looking for the perfect, unique and memorable present for a loved one, there is nothing better than an original work of art. But buying for someone else can be daunting. We share some ideas and things to think about when giving art as a gift.
  • GREEN ART: An introduction | Part II
    In Part II, environmental artist Janet Botes explores 'Green Art' in the context of Found Object Assemblage, Installation Art, Land Art and New Media Art.
  • GREEN ART: An introduction | Part I
    Janet Botes is an artist who aims to inspire change and respect towards all living things and Mother Earth - preserving biodiversity and a heritage for future generations. In the first of a two-part series, Janet introduces us to environmental art and the materials used to create 'green art'.
  • Tips for writing a successful Artist Statement
    Helpful tips and things to think about when writing your Artist Statement for entry into the StateoftheART Gallery Award.
  • Guesthouse Art: De Zeven Guest Lodge Stellenbosch
    Take inspiration from De Zeven Guest Lodge in Stellenbosch who chose a selection of StateoftheART artworks to grace their walls.
  • Advice from the JUDGES
    With just under a month left to enter the StateoftheART Gallery Award, we asked the Judges what they are looking for in this year's entries...
  • How to Photograph your Art using your Phone
    Helpful tips and things to remember when photographing your artworks for entry into the StateoftheART Gallery Award.
  • Jo Roets: Winner of the StateoftheART Gallery Award 2018
    Read Jo Roets' account of entering and winning the StateoftheART Gallery Award in 2018.
  • How to Enter the StateoftheART Gallery Award
    Find some helpful tips here to assist you when filling out your entry form to the Gallery Award.
  • How to Package Your Art with CORNÉ EKSTEEN
    StateoftheART presents 'How to Package Your Art' with CORNÉ EKSTEEN, a series of video tutorials in which Corné demonstrates every step of the packaging process.
  • How Art Gets Its Value
    Jayson Coomer of Rolling Alpha gives some insight into how and why investors decide whether an artwork is worth the asking price.
  • Your Definitive Guide To Reading A Piece Of Nude Art
    We share some extracts from an article by Katherine Brooks for HuffPost Arts And Culture on how to talk about nudity in art without sounding prudish or pervy..
  • Beneath the Skin we're all the same
    In a tense political time where xenophobic and racist attacks flare up on farms, in townships and at protests, art has more responsibility than ever to communicate the spirit of Ubuntu and explore who we really are as human race. Our upcoming group exhibition 'Beneath the Skin' is inspired by this.
  • Collecting SA Art Could Be A Stroke Of Genius
    Having A Good Art Collection Of SA Art Could Be A Stroke Of Genius: David Shapiro tips StateoftheART as a source for young collectors in an article for Times Live.
  • Community Project Making a Difference
    Artist Statement of photographic artist Bettie Coetzee Lambrecht's project 'SHE WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE' that focuses on the community work of Dr Elbé Coetsee.
  • Digital Art, the next revolution in art?
    With new media, 2D and 3D art, "real-time" interdisciplinary creations at art festivals, biennales and online, the art world is embracing new technologies. As a leading online gallery for contemporary art we are eager to see what the future will bring and welcome the new revolution in art.
  • 8 Good Reasons To Buy Original Artworks From Local Galleries
    Artist and gallery owner Cedric Vanderlinden writes about buying original art for the workplace in the latest Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber INFOCOM.
  • How to create artwork that has 'staying power'
    An article by Usha Seejarim, for the Art of Access, on why artistic authenticity is the key to a sustainable career in this industry.
  • Nuances: a journey through an artist's landscapes
    Nuances is a series of crafted photographic landscapes by Janet Botes. Each work is a montage of photographs, drawing, hand-painting and scanned textures to depict a landscape that the artist visited or has a personal connection to. Read what the artist has to say about this work.
  • Buy Art, Even If It's Not Much Of An Investment
    THE art market survived — and thrived — during and after the financial crisis of 2008, leading many investors to consider adding art to their portfolio. With bankrupt governments implementing financial repression, competing assets yield little or nothing. Read more...
  • Appreciating What Is Good
    In the early 1970s Fred Scott started collecting art. He discusses the ongoing conflation of the words "Collecting" and "Investing", and what exactly distinguishes them.
  • Contemporary Botanical Painting
    Botanical artist Sally Arnold writes about the importance of botanical art in the world today....
  • Who Wants To Be A Curator?
    Janet Ranson writes for StateoftheArt on the complexities of becoming an art curator.
  • The Fine Art Of Investing
    Picking out future stars before they are a’name’ can be lucrative – art school degree shows are ripe for discovering new talent and buying more affordable work.
  • How To Frame Your Print
    Hints and tips for framing your photogaphic print (digital C-print) or Limited Edition print.
  • Simple Rules For Displaying Art
    Group the artworks into clusters of two or three. Odd numbered groups suggest a focal point while even numbered groupings exude a calming and organised effect......
  • Looking Into The Future: The Potential Of Your Graduate Exhibition
    Despite these recession-hit times people are still buying art work from graduates in the hope of spotting the next William Kentridge. Your graduate exhibition is the opportunity to present your degree collection and introduce yourself as an artist. It is the launch-pad of your career and a celebration of your achievements to date.
  • How To Pick The Perfect Picture
    RETAIL therapy is all too common, but have you ever felt the same need to splash out on art? StateoftheART shares some invaluable tips on choosing your perfect artwork ....