Beyond Ownership: In Art We Trust

You know quality when you see it. You know integrity and honesty when you experience it. You recognise the real, the authentic, when you’re in its presence - and it’s the same with art.

Curated with a focus on quality and authenticity, these works embody an unmistakable sense of truth - whether through exquisite execution, a singular voice, or a deeply evocative presence.

And there is also the potential for investment. At New Blood Art, the financial press coverage we’ve received over the years has been incidental - a reflection of the quality of the artists we work with. When artists create exceptional work, it holds value and often increases in value. But our focus has never been dictated by speculation or market trends. It has always been about the art itself. Yet, over time, we’ve naturally developed a reputation in the investment space. Some galleries actively pursue this - promoting art primarily as an asset - but for us, it has simply been the outcome of championing the best emerging artists. The artists we first introduced have gone on to become significantly more valuable. We haven’t had to force or manufacture this - it’s what happens when you buy quality at the start of an artist’s career.

This is where the balance lies. Investing in art is powerful - it sustains artists, supports their careers, and allows them to continue making work. But that should never overshadow something deeper - that its worth goes beyond investment.

Mark Rothko understood this distinction. His son, Christopher Rothko, recalled in a recent podcast how his father believed that artists should be well compensated and was pleased when his work sold for a strong price. However, Rothko resisted the idea of art becoming a commodity - valued purely as a tradable asset rather than as an experience.

And yet, his paintings have commanded some of the highest prices in the postwar art market. At public auction, Orange, Red, Yellow sold for approximately $86.9 million in 2012. The art market is an obscure animal - and not all sales pass through the public realm. Whispers suggest that in private transactions, Rothko’s work has exchanged hands for significantly higher sums, with reports of pieces selling for over $100 million.

This is the paradox. He resisted the commodification of art, yet the market - operating on its own terms - has placed extraordinary financial value on his work.

It’s an exchange - what you give, and what you receive.

Art holds presence - it shapes the spaces it inhabits and invites a deeper connection. Its real value isn’t in ownership, but in how it moves with you, shifts your perspective, and takes on new meaning over time.

Some works endure, becoming part of your story, passed down through time - both an asset and something profoundly meaningful.

This is about intrinsic worth, quality, and permanence. About art that remains - held, not in the sense of possession, but in a way that nourishes both the keeper and the kept.

We invest in art so that artists can make art. And in return, we receive something that stays with us - something that influences our lives in ways we cannot always name but always feel.

Four Lads (After Reynolds) by Chris Grisley