Collecting Art With @JiggyKorean

When you think of art collecting there’s an instant intimidation that comes to mind. First of all there is no price gauge to go off of. Unlike a pair of shoes that can be inexpensive, moderately priced, or expensive; art has a much different meaning regarding value and it’s up to you to decide what that is.

It seems the entire art world thrives off the secrecy of price because you never know how deep the artist went to make their creation. A plain piece of paper with a crayon scribble can range anywhere from high hundreds to thousands of dollars, you just never know. Or if the piece is originally inexpensive, but only one of its kind and in demand, the price no doubt is driven up by 100%. I go through enough of that dissapointment trying to purchase off-white sneakers that retail for $150 and are resold at $800+.

Being a frequent visitor to museums I am getting more familiar with certain artist and able to identify them by their work. Now please, I am not an art connosuier of any kind and most times I STILL don’t know what the hell I’m looking at. I just know I like certain art, and other art not so much. I am still learning and very new at collecting (mentors are welcome).

The artwork of Micheal Coleman stopped me right in my tracks one day as I was scrolling on instagram( @jiggykorean). His images were a touch cartoonish but powerful, extremely detailed, and raw in black culture. Every image had a crystal clear message. He also created images of celebrities with exaggerated characteristics which were unique and yet easily identifiable. He definitely reminded me of that talented homeboy in school, who just needed a concept and a sharpie pen. The art pieces spoke to me, they spoke to my generation, my genre of music, my upbringing, my everything. They were extremely relatable.

Of course I ran over to his website www.rvrecreator.com and every single print was SOLD OUT! Yup, that’s me I thought… “day late.. dollar short”. We were right on the cusp of quarantine and supporting entrepreneurs was more prominent than ever. With all this extra time on everyone’s hands to shop online, I should’ve known the pieces would be gone...Silly me!

I immediately decided to shoot him a DM asking if there would be any restocks soon. I cringed as soon as I hit send because there’s nothing worse than sliding in someone’s DMs especially to ask them for something and they have no clue who you are. To my surprise he responded an hour or so later and I quote… “ Which ones were you looking at, maybe I can make them available,” followed by four hush emoji’s.” I knew right then he was good people; down to earth , humble, and serious about his craft. After a couple DM’s about what could be printed and what couldn’t, we finished the transaction the same day. I originally wanted a total of five prints and I could only get four, as one was a custom piece that couldn’t be duplicated.

Less than two weeks later I had the UPS package at my door. Presto!…Four jaw dropping 40x30 canvas prints. I am still drooling over these images. I’m forever grateful to Michael for turning his flaws into a cause and overall just being such a dope human being. I’m blessed to have his artwork in my collection. I especially enjoy seeing his new work and growth on Instagram. You can spot his work in restaurants such as Rock Steady ATL, or his mural on the Atlanta Belt line. He is definitely an artist to keep your eye on.

Let me know what you think of the pieces.

As always, thanks for reading.

-J.