Harare — This is the second and last part of Tony Mhonda's article, where he is saying that art is resilient to economic turbulence and continues to thrive unabated despite the meltdown.

Lately, with new idiosyncratic subject matter, new profiles and new media being warmly received in the international art arena, the light has been rekindled.

But how does one begin to collect this illusive investment known as Art -- which presents itself in many guises and media that includes paintings, ceramics, stone sculpture, mixed media sculpture, constructions, installations, video projections, photography and performance art?.

How to invest

Generally, before you venture in any acquisition of visual art, know that, like any commodity art is bought and sold. Like gold, art has intrinsic values such as financial security, civic status, aesthetic pleasure, decorative appeal, historic evidence and intellectual property. You must know that investing in art is usually a long-term investment.

Your first step is to take an interest in the art and culture of a country. Buy books on art; collect art because you enjoy it. Become a member of galleries, art associations and subscribe to art journals, and magazines.

It is advisable to buy from an artist who is already selling well from a gallery exhibition. Buy a small expensive work by a famous artist rather than a large painting by a lesser-known artist.

Within the domain of the arts there reigns an absolute equality as far as true artistic merit is concerned. Size does not determine price. For example, it is better to purchase a small well resolved sculpture from a master, than a huge distorted serpentine stone hacked by a novice, or worse still, a huge mish mash of pseudo abstract painting, of which there are a lot around.

All said and done, paintings, prints and drawings, due to their rarity in Zimbabwe, make wiser investments, and colour speaks more volumes. They are also a more manageable asset in terms of storage and freight.

Always seek advice from a qualified art expert/dealer with both financial and artistic credentials, with an international reputation, to guarantee your purchase.

Attain expert documentation on the work of art from the consultant. The expert must be able to assure the quality of workmanship, artistic integrity and the criteria of materials used as well as the durability of materials overtime.

There are not many art consultants in Zimbabwe, known to the writer, but South Africa has just over 30 internationally accredited evaluators at the last head count. Always buy two works of art or more at a time, it lends credibility to your collection when reselling your works.

Lack of professionalism

Due to the proliferation of would be artists trying to beat unemployment in Zimbabwe, one has to tread carefully when investing in art.

Unfortunately, some galleries even at national level, are manned by unqualified and indifferent personnel who have not managed to harness, address, document of curate the visual arts of Zimbabwe, which were already well placed internationally. As a result, today artists are known in the UK as those peddlers of stone things, or even more derogatory in the Fair Cape of Msanzi, as "Makwerekwere -- kirimani ndipo Randi".

This bad image is of Zimbabwe's own making. As free independent Zimbabweans we ought to seriously invest in our own art and culture, which is the first call of our civic diplomacy. Art is a reflection of the psyche, the culture, the people -- art is our image.

Good art

What makes a good work of art?

To quip from French novelist and philosopher, Albert Camus, Art like beauty, is unbearable, it drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of our eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time. Such is an artistic masterpiece.

The important element here is eternity or in simple terms, art which captivates, questions and sustains visual and mental stimulus overtime; yet gives the viewer an overpowering sense of enjoyment -- like a good song one never tires of listening to.

Although in Zimbabwe the price of art has dropped significantly and unfairly in the last three years, as low as US$10,00 for an original sculpture or painting regardless. There is still hope, however. The rebuilding of the economy and marketing of Zimbabwe as a destination of choice will no doubt redress the situation. The increased tourism traffic due to the World Cup in South Africa will present the perfect platform to re introduce this art to the world. But one must not invest in second rate, unresolved souvenirs and tourist bargains with the thought that they are historical memorabilia of South Africa 2010. Such trinkets have no long-term value at all.

South Africa 2010

Meanwhile, South Africa has been enjoying a boom time in the visual arts since 2006, and prices of artworks are reaching blue chip status. Mid career artists such as Zwelethu Mthetwa, Nicholas Hlobo, Mandipha Mntambo, Churchil Madikida, Sam Nhlengethwa, Claudette Schreuders, Walter Mayer, Helena Huga, Cobus Haupt, Alet Swarts, Kagiso Maut.

A, Norman Catherine and William Kentridge are selling from between US$5,000 to US$50,000. Whilst deceased and internationally renowned artists like the late Irma Stein (1894 - 1966), who studied with the German Expressionists from (1913 - 1920), and was greatly influenced by Max Pechstein (1881 - 1955), currently selling for approximately US$720 000. An example is her still life painting Magnolias in an Earthenware Pot (oil on canvas). The late Gerard Sekoto, who studied in Paris, today sells for US$12 500. For a small gouache sketch on paper measuring 30cm x 30cm. South Africa's Marlene Dumas is regarded to day as the world's most expensive living female artist. In 2005, one of her paintings entitled The Teacher sold for US$3,34 million at Southeby's Art Auctions.

Reviving Zimbabwe's Arts

Zimbabwe can also enjoy the same revival of the Visual Arts Sector and restore its true fiscal and aesthetic value, if the responsible authorities make a concerted effort to improve the education, training and promotion of dedicated young artists.

It is sad to note that in Zimbabwe Arts Society, National Export Promoters, Cultural Institutions and Western Donor Agencies and allied organisations, in the belief that they are encouraging self help schemes and employment creation in the guise of art are in truth doing a great disservice and injustice to the nation by perpetuating the making of inferior craft and handiwork for the international fairs.

These second rate crafts are worthless and will ultimately tarnish the positive perception of Zimbabwe, as a nation that once produced 10 of the World's Best Sculptors (Newsweek International, 1986).

Record sales

In the last 25 years, Zimbabwe has recorded some of the highest record breaking art sales in the whole of Africa. The following sales are a revelation of the local art's monetary value. (names of the deceased artists have been withheld for legal reasons and breach of estate confidentiality).

The Sales are as follows:

In 1995 Shona Queen @ 1994 Sprinstone measuring 2,20m x 0.80m x 0.54m) sold for a record US$672 000 in Tevuren, Belgium . the artist allegedly fainted on receipt of the money. He sold another 4 pieces for the same price, making a total of US$5 360 000million. He passed away a few months later, after receiving the money. Another still life painting Masks, Zimbabwe Bird and Flame Lillies @ 2008, measuring 80cm x 160cm, acrylic and charcoal on papier board sold for US$8 000, in Green Point, Cape Town South Africa, October 2009.

The most memorable work of art sold from Zimbabwe is The Boxer, a geometrical semi abstract bust of a pugilist carved by an Mbare - based artist was purchased by none other than former world boxing heavyweight champion -- Mike Tyson, in July, 1992 in for US$15 000, in California, USA. Memorable, because Tyson was amongst the first esteemed African American collectors of Zimbabwean art.