{"id":344432,"date":"2025-08-18T13:36:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T17:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=344432"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:47:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T20:47:13","slug":"collecting-focus-contemporary-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-contemporary-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Collecting Focus: Contemporary Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sotheby\u2019s New York is inviting first-time buyers to explore art at auction with its upcoming Open House, writes Katie Armstrong<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>David Hockney\u2019s \u201cTerrace Hollywood Hills House with Banana Tree,\u201d 1982 at the Contemporary Day Auction on 16 May 2025 at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

Buying contemporary art and collectables at auction\u2014 especially at the world\u2019s most prestigious auction houses\u2014can seem an intimidating process to the uninitiated. But Sotheby\u2019s New York\u2019s upcoming <\/span>Open House weekend<\/span><\/a> aims to demystify the auction experience through an array of events targeted at new collectors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a true open house,\u201d says Courtney Kremers, head of private sales, Americas, and senior specialist for post-war and contemporary art at Sotheby\u2019s New York. \u201cA way to open our doors to new buyers or those who have maybe bought one thing and are curious about buying their second, or want to learn about collecting in a different category.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kremers knows a thing or two about bringing new collectors into Sotheby\u2019s, having developed its <\/span>\u201cContemporary Curated\u201d<\/span><\/a> concept in 2013 to connect buyers with fresh and exciting modern works.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Works on show at Contemporary Curated 2024 at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

Contemporary art<\/span><\/a> in particular\u2014broadly considered to include work created from the 1970s to the present day\u2014can be an engaging starting point for new collectors. Pieces capture the current world and its different perspectives using a diverse range of mediums and styles, meaning there really is something for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“There’s lots of figurative painting,\u201d says Kremers of current trends in the category. \u201cMany of the artists that people are following right now are looking back to Old Master painting and working in dialogue with art history.\u201d She cites American painter <\/span>Jonas Wood<\/span><\/a> as an example, whose work draws a line from Henri Matisse through Stuart Davis to David Hockney. She also mentions Flora Yukhnovich and Salmon Toor, who have both been heavily inspired by Baroque and Rococo masters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>George Condo\u2019s \u201cArtist and Muse,\u201d 2015 at Contemporary Curated 2024, Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

The Curated sales offer cultural touchstones at more approachable prices, in each instance brought together by a guest curator. These have included Oprah Winfrey, Kim Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Kevin Love and Karlie Kloss.<\/span> American powerhouse sports agent, entrepreneur and author Rich Paul <\/span>presided over Contemporary Curated at Sotheby\u2019s New York in 2024. <\/span>This year\u2019s edition <\/span><\/a>on September 26, while yet to announce its guest curator, will spotlight trailblazing figures who defined the postwar era, alongside influential voices shaping today\u2019s artistic landscape.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But first comes the Open House on September 20 and 21. Acting as a precursor to the Curated sale and building on its accessible approach, the inaugural weekender will include panels, talks and interactive opportunities across categories, including wine tastings and jewelry handling sessions. Specialists will reveal how estimates are decided, how to read and understand condition reports, and whether an art adviser is truly necessary when starting a collection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Barbara Kruger\u2019s \u201cUntitled (Love for Sale),\u201d 1989 at the Now and Contemporary Evening Sale at Sotheby\u2019s New York in May 2025 . Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

Sotheby\u2019s, with its broad range of offerings, from Dutch Old Masters to original Birkin bags, is the perfect place for new collectors to explore the potential of objects on offer at auction and discover items they may not have otherwise come across.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what\u2019s so beautiful about collecting through an auction house,\u201d says Kremers. \u201cYou don\u2019t live with your art in the home with nothing else around you. You have furniture below the art on your walls. You have china in your kitchen, and wine in your cellar\u2014everything you live with is a category that can be bought at auction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to integrating a collection into your home, Kremers believes that the art should lead. \u201cA lot of interior decorators will buy a painting to go with the pillows, but I disagree\u2014I always tell my friends that you buy the painting first, and then get the pillows to match,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Contemporary Curated 2024 at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

Happily, the Open House program includes a conversation on this very topic between Jodi Pollack, chairman and co-worldwide head of 20th-century design at Sotheby\u2019s New York, and minimalistic menswear designer Robert Dylan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following on from this, New York\u2019s <\/span>Contemporary Curated<\/span><\/a> sale on September 26 should be a great opportunity for new collectors to dive into the auction market. With lots starting at US$5,000, and often with no reserve, these are accessibly priced works, opening doors to beginner buyers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And Kremers has some lasting advice for collectors just starting out. <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s important to be open minded and willing to go on a journey\u2014put some guard rails in place, but allow room to be playful and to let humour enter the process. Collecting should be an outlet for creativity and enjoyment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Collecting Focus series also features expert advice on<\/i> jewelry<\/i><\/a>, <\/i>watches<\/i><\/a>, <\/i>wine<\/i><\/a>, <\/i>historic books<\/i><\/a>, <\/i>fashion history<\/i><\/a>, natural history<\/i><\/a> and<\/i> Americana<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sotheby\u2019s New York is inviting first-time buyers to explore art at auction with its upcoming Open House, writes Katie Armstrong David Hockney\u2019s \u201cTerrace Hollywood Hills House with Banana Tree,\u201d 1982 at the Contemporary Day Auction on 16 May 2025 at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s Buying contemporary art and collectables at auction\u2014 especially at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770370,"featured_media":344433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1393],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-344432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Header-2.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1rBm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":346456,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-fine-art-photography\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":0},"title":"Collecting Focus: Fine Art Photography","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"One couple\u2019s remarkable private collection perfectly captures the transportive power of photography, writes Katie Armstrong A 2024 exhibition of photography at Sotheby\u2019s New York. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s The world\u2019s oldest surviving photograph,\u00a0\u201cView from the Window at Le Gras,\u201d was taken by Joseph Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce in the mid-1820s. The subject was simple:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"an exhibition of fine art photography at Sotheby's New York","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Photographs-Exhibition-Sothebys-New-York-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345882,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-rare-drawings\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":1},"title":"Collecting Focus: Rare Drawings","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"January 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Contemporary artists love to collect sketches and studies by their predecessors and they aren\u2019t alone, writes Katie Armstrong Jean-Antoine Watteau, \u201cA Man Playing the Guitar,\u201d which will be auctioned in \u201cMaster Drawings from the Collection of Diane A. Nixon,\u201d Sotheby\u2019s New York, February 4, 2026. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s Old Master drawings\u2014the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"people viewing Master Works at Sotheby's Auction House in London","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Master-Works-London-B.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":346128,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-chinese-art-and-antiques\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":2},"title":"Collecting Focus: Chinese Art and Antiques","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"February 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"From headline-making Ming pieces to elegant, accessible ceramics, Chinese art brings exquisite artisanship and a tangible connection to the past to any serious collection, writes Katie Armstrong A rare famille-rose \u201cpeony, magnolia and peach blossom\u201d vase (Tianqiuping), seal mark and period of Yongzheng. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s When a tiny Ming dynasty\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Asian art exhibition featuring various blue and white vases, plates, and bowls","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/031325_Asian_Art_Exhibition_152.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":343805,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-latin-american-art\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":3},"title":"Collecting Focus: Latin American Art","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"April 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From Mexican modernism to Brazilian sculpture, this thrilling collecting category is rapidly growing in prominence\u2014and now is the perfect time to invest, writes Florence Hallett Frida Kahlo\u2019s 1949 painting \u201cDiego y yo\u201d, exhibited at Sotheby\u2019s prior to its record-breaking US$34.9 million sale. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s From the surrealist dreamworlds of Remedios\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/header-3.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344055,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-fashion-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":4},"title":"Collecting Focus: Fashion History","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"June 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As Sotheby\u2019s New York hosts another landmark Fashion Icons sale, Emma Reynolds hears how collectors help to preserve haute-couture and pieces that tell stories beyond style Sotheby's Fashion Icons Exhibition, 2024. Photos: Courtesy of Sotheby's Like art, literature or theater, fashion captures what words cannot. More than just a form\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/header-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345357,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/collecting-focus-old-masters\/","url_meta":{"origin":344432,"position":5},"title":"Collecting Focus: Old Masters","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"November 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Sotheby\u2019s London is soon to auction some remarkable examples of a genre finding renewed relevance with buyers of all tastes, writes Katie Armstrong Pieter Brueghel the Younger\u2019s \u201cThe Census at Bethlehem,\u201d a key lot at Sotheby\u2019s Old Masters London sales series in December 2025. Photograph: Sotheby\u2019s What defines an Old\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Art and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/art-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sotheby's Old Masters auction","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image1-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232770370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344432"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":345107,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344432\/revisions\/345107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}