When it comes to acquiring art, I like to go one of two ways: first, buying works by friends, or second, buying pieces that have good stories behind them, whether it’s about how I stumbled upon the artist or the artist’s personal story or whatever. So for my first significant painting purchase, the story goes: my husband and I were wandering around the Marais neighborhood in Paris. It was a Saturday, so we couldn’t do much, and it was drizzling rain, so we were both irritable about not having much we could do. But then we turned right down a street lined with art galleries, and realized an activity was right at our doorstep (so to speak.) Most of what we saw was mediocre, but the work of Sergey Konokov stood out. Dark, technically mature (amazing, as the artist is only twenty-one), equal parts Francis Bacon and The Ring (post-tape watching.) The painting of the dogs fighting would be great in a dining area, just to make your guests feel mildly uneasy during a fancy supper.
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