Photograph: Kristopher McKay
Photograph: Kristopher McKay

Best affordable art for every budget

Check out our select list of suggestions for affordable art available at NYC art museum and art gallery stores

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Has that bare spot on your wall or shelf been screaming at you to put something there? Sure, you could go the poster or tchotchke rout, but that's a little, you know, pedestrian. And sure, there are plenty of artworks that you can afford to buy, but aren't really worth the money (which can be considerable) that you spend on them. No, if you're someone looking for art that's relatively inexpensive while offering some hope of a return on your investment, there's only one thing to do: Buy work by artists with significant art-world reputations. True, most of what they make is beyond the purchasing power of anyone who's not a member of the 1 percent. Still, a lot of important artists produce multiples and editions that are relatively easy on the wallet and, in some cases, even have the potential to increase in value. They’re available from museums—like MoMA or the Guggenheim—private dealers, and even from some of the NYC's larger galleries. If you're interested in finding out more, check out our list of the best affordable art for every budget.

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Best affordable art for every budget

Keltie Ferris, Orchard, 2017

A work of art that’s also a rug, this colorful abstract piece is made from 100% silk. 44 x 27 inches

$3,000 Available at BravinLee Editions

Mary Weatherford, Union Ave, 2012

Detritus from the streets of Bakersfield, CA inspired this lithograph, which came out of the artist’s sojourn in that city. 27 1/4 X 22 inches

$1,500 Available from the Gagosian Shop

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Rachel Whiteread, Secondhand Limited Edition, 2004

This 3-D printed model of used furniture in a secondhand store comes with its own Plexiglas case. 4 1/2 X 4 X 16 5/8 inches including case

$1,100 Available from the Gagosian Shop

Devendra Banhart, Green Woman Print, 2016

Globe meets gal in this charming, faux-naive print by the noted musician and artist. 14 X 14 inches

$1000 Available from the Gagosian Shop

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Qu Guangci, A Great Man, 2012

This fiberglass sculpture by contemporary Chinese artist Qu Guangci depicts a figure that looks like Chairman Mao wearing angel’s wings while standing on a stool. 15 X 4 X 4 inches

$930 Available at the Guggenheim Store

Romare Bearden, Family Dinner, 1993

This 30-color hand-screened print is based on the acclaimed African-American artist’s 1969 painting of the same name. 22.5 x 19.5 inches

$750 Available at the Guggenheim Store

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Michael Sailstorfer, P 99, 2016

You're friends will put up their hands at the sight of this ceramic wall relief in the shape of automatic pistol snout by German artist Michael Sailstorfer. 1.9 X 1.6 X 1.2 inches

$348 Available at fineartmultiple

Kusama Pumpkins

These lacquer-painted resin replicas of Kusama’s iconic work comes in red and yellow. 4 inches high X 3.15 inches in diameter

$280 Available at MoMA Design Store

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Haim Steinbach, Object, 2009

Head-on images of some of the objects the famed commodity artist used in his work are reproduced in this board-book, though it’s hard to tell with that big hole blown through it. The artist describes it as “a picture book, a dictionary, a self-portrait and a lesson in art-making.” 10 5/8 X 11 5/8 X 1 5/8 inches

$230 Available from the Gagosian Shop

Yoshitomo Nara: Welcome Girl Skateboard

The winsome image on this skateboard is a reproduction of Nara's work, Welcome Girl (2017) and represents a sample of the artist's inimitable style. Hang it on the wall or attached wheels to it so you can start mastering that kick flip you been meaning to learn. 31 X 8 X .5 inches

$200 Available at MoMA Design Store

Want to see art that’s expensive?

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