Decisions Decisions: How We Go About Choosing the Art We Buy
by Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer
This article originally appeared in theWinter 2025-26 issue of Art with Altitude.
A probing person once said to me, “Just the way I wonder why people choose the life partner they end up with, I also wonder what makes people buy the art that ends up hanging on their walls.”
Art collectors buy for many reasons. The aim may be to collect the works of one favored artist or paintings created during a certain time period. Others buy art because they believe it will someday be worth a fortune. However, the most powerful reason for coveting certain artworks is emotion—whether to transport one’s sensibilities to other places, to promote new outlooks, to instill a particular atmosphere in the home, or even to make a statement about the family’s taste.
Robert McKinley, a world traveler and a local in Steamboat Springs, says, “If I know the artist and he or she explains to me what made them paint, I then understand the work intimately and consequently want it hanging in my home.”
Robert recalls one day rollerblading near Spring Street in the Village in New York City, where he encountered a painter named Espartaco working on a mural. Robert stopped to look and was mesmerized by the artist’s portrayal of stick-like figures with innocent expressions, which the painter called Nozco. Espartaco often paints these individualistic avatars atop squiggles in unique design patterns that resemble a secret alphabet. Robert learned that Espartaco was originally an engineer, and he could see how that training influenced the organized way his figures were arranged. Not only does Robert now have some of Espartaco’s art hanging in his home, but the artist was also invited to Steamboat Springs to paint the exterior of the caboose outside the Depot Art Center—now affectionately called the Nozcaboose.
David and Tresa Moulton, also locals in Steamboat, are avid birders. Like many in town, they are captivated by the cranes. Their long legs and necks, plumage of gray and white marked with black, and the red bare patches on their faces give them an aristocratic look. So, when David and Tresa visited Pine Moon Gallery, it was a moment of “gotta have” when they saw Sandi Poltorak’s detailed pencil drawings of cranes.
The Moultons, adventurous souls, have also enjoyed hot air ballooning. On another visit to Pine Moon Gallery, they discovered Joanne Orce’s oil painting of hot air balloons. To their surprise, one of the balloons David had flown in was captured in vivid detail. That, too, became a “gotta have” moment. David explained, “We like artwork that relates to what we enjoy doing ourselves.”
Naturally, I was asked, “What about you?” Those who have visited my home often wonder why I have a Chinese art collection. There are several reasons. Chinese art often reflects a deep connection with nature, symbolism and philosophical concepts like Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Additionally, the sophisticated techniques—such as brushwork and ink wash—and the emphasis on artistic conception rather than strict realism contribute to its enduring appeal.
In the end, the art we choose says as much about ourselves as it does about the artist. Whether it’s the memory of a chance encounter, the reflection of personal passions, or the echo of ancient philosophies, each piece becomes a mirror of who we are and what we value. Perhaps that is the true magic of collecting art: it allows us to surround ourselves with beauty that not only decorates our walls, but also tells our stories.
Elevate the Arts: Ask, buy and love your art. ELH
