Guest Blogger: Josie Azuma on Supporting Art vs. Statement Art
We are delighted to speak with the talented Josie Azuma this week. Josie will be releasing a collection on paper with us later in August. Take one look at her Instagram and you can tell she has an amazing design aesthetic and knows how to add art to any space. We decided to sit down with her and hear her thoughts on purchasing art for the home. Enjoy!
One of the things that is important to think about when you buy a piece of art for your home is whether you are looking for statement art or something more subtle, to compliment the room but not define it. In my opinion this is something that people probably don’t consider enough when purchasing art. First, it’s important to define what “statement art” actually is. To me, statement art is a piece that commands attention. It is the number one player in the room, all other pieces and decor are incorporated as supporting figures, including patterns, colors, rugs, furniture, other art, etc. You may have designed the entire room around the piece of art, or it may have been the last thing you added; I don’t think that matters. What matters is the piece of art is an essential part of the overall design; without it the room is missing something.
Statement Art
The room is boring. It is missing something. Without the art, the room doesn’t look interesting enough. I think this is a pitfall of many people when choosing art. You want to add color and interest to the room, and you don’t know how otherwise, so you pick out a large, colorful, piece of statement art. But, is that what you really wanted? If it is, that’s great. But I think it should be intentional. Statement art can be really effective and important in interior design, but must be chosen carefully since it will be so dominant in the room. Does the piece give the color, feel, and mood you are looking for? Are you 100% in love with it? Is your furniture, rug, and other accessories supporting the piece, or is your room just a little mundane if you remove the piece?
Often, large size alone is enough to make something a statement piece, but that isn’t true 100% of the time. You can definitely have supporting pieces that are large. Again, this goes back to whether the piece is the center of attention in the room or not.
Supporting Art
Supporting art to me works with your decor and design. You can remove it, and the room still stands on its own. The furniture, rug, window treatments, accessories, and other art look well designed and thought out, but the supporting piece just adds something extra. Often times, supporting art is smaller in scale, but like I mentioned above, I don’t think it always has to be. A good rule of thumb to determine if your piece of art is supporting or statement is: is this the first thing I look at when I walk into the room, or am I taking in the room as a whole?
I make both supporting art and statement pieces, and I tend to lean more towards supporting pieces in my own house, just because my ceilings aren't high enough for really large art. I think there is a time and place for each in interior design, and I love to help my clients choose the perfect piece for their room. I believe art will be most effective in your room when you take into consideration which type you want to buy and why, and “statement” vs. “supporting” is just one of those considerations.
Need help choosing your art? Check out our contact page and send us an e-mail or reach out to Josie directly through her website listed below!
Josie Azuma
Instagram @josieazumaart