Link to poor people art please? (And please don't let it be Homer Simpson art---i.e. garbage smashed together. And I don't count digital prints as art.)
Check ebay, check etsy, search google for specific types of art if you know what kind of stuff you're looking for. Art in other (poorer) countries is also far cheaper than art in first world nations.
Of course, well known artists will command serious prices, but for every well known artist, there dozens of other lesser-known artists with comparable quality and styles that you can get a lot cheaper.
Or commission your own art if there's something specific you're looking for. Once again, if you're looking for something down by a specific person, you're going to pay for that brand, but if there's a styler you're looking for, you should be able to find someone to do it for a lot less.
Completely agree. If you know where to look and know what you like, there are tons of lesser known artists that can very well be just as good as every other artist. I saw a good post on Quora [1] that recommends you look at University student art shows as a really good tactic. I happen to know a lot of artists sell their art on eBay and not every one of those sells for the price that same artist would sell the piece for at an art show.
Group shows at a small gallery, or benefit auctions for local arts-related organizations are another idea. You can get access to more mature work that way.
You don't generally want solo shows at galleries, but at group shows, people will show smaller works. You have to be well-informed enough to know the gallery and their artists, of course.
Benefit auctions often feature works that local artists have laying around in their studios and donate to the auction (partly for the tax write-off, although that is monitored now). You have to be confident of your eye, and choose the right auction, one that is connected to local artists with actual talent.
All of the above requires footwork and an independent interest in contemporary art. This disqualifies 99.9% of people.
I cannot agree more. There will be a lot of so-so, but... there will be some stunners as well. Not sure where all these people end up, but there are some amazingly talented young artists out there... many of whom can and do produce better art than most of what you will purchase at an art auction. They just don't have the name or the history yet!
Often a single collector or gallery will make all the difference for a young artist. One single person that buys enough of their art for them to make it on that part-time coffee house job and still pursue their art.
Seriously though, if you want cheap art then visit some art student graduation shows or visit the cinema. Amazon has probably moved into this area because it is high margin and they'll get a big cut and compete with eBay, not through any desire to democratize fine art, so I doubt they'd want the prices low.
Attend a "con" where artists go to sell their work. I picked up some good art in Hyper Japan in London a week ago. A print, but the original is digital and it was signed by the artist (DestinyBlue on Deviant Art). Bonus: getting to meet the artist.
What price range do you consider "poor people art"? If an artist (even an amateur) spent say 20 hours on an original piece that you absolutely loved, how much are you willing to pay today to that artist?
I'm not an art purist, but I'd speculate that you run into issues with sheen and shadowing with medium like oil paints, which have a 3D shape on the canvas. It would be difficult to accurately capture & faithfully reproduce.
There are price selectors on the left to filter by under $100, up to $250, etc. If you're looking for originals at that pricepoint, you might be limited to abstract pieces that are quicker to produce.
Outside of this site, there are studios in China which will replicate pictures or paintings quite affordably - I have a 2000x1000mm copy that cost more to stretch than commission (The original: http://luxxurylivving.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Francoi...).
Another option is to hit up student exhibitions at high school or college level and find rough gems.
What I discovered is I may be too poor to own art but I can create it for people who are rich enough to own it. With time and the right opportunities I can increase the price until my name == expensive art.
Thanks. In a related note, if you can get your hands on high-res digital versions of these prints, http://www.phdposters.com is great for cheap poster printing.
