At this year’s Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts , I bought three beautiful photographs by Andrew Sovjani. I admired his work at last year’s Festival, and am delighted to have been able to bring some home this year. This got me thinking about a question on which I’m interested in hearing your thoughts: How do you decide what art (if any) to invite into your home? I know that I personally enjoy quite a wide variety of art, but there is relatively little of it that I actually want to own. Much art is beautiful, and much is intellectually interesting, but if I bought everything that I find attractive or thought-provoking, I would end up with a large and disjointed collection. So, what is it that makes a work cross the line between a casual flirt and a real committment?

In the case of Sovjani’s photographs, the deciding factor was undoubtedly mood. The word that springs to mind to describe these photographs is “quiet.” Each of his photos conveys a sense of perfect stillness. To me, the artist’s love of form really shines through these images, taking a single object that is itself simple and beautiful, and showing it off to advantage. Sovjani’s eye for balance and form really epitomizes, for me, why simplicity is elegant.

So for me, I think the answer to the question of what makes the difference between admiration and purchase is the philosophy embodied in the artwork. I like my environment to reflect my philosophy and to induce the kind of mood that I like to be in. In this case, the simplicity and tranquility of Sovjani’s photographs is a very welcome addition to my home.

Interestingly, I spoke with Sovjani at the festival, and he told me he always lives with an image for at least a year before deciding to exhibit or sell it, which I thought was a neat commentary on how art “works.”

In case you are curious, the three photos that I bought are “Study in Whites,” “Ten Tulips,” and “Coral Charm.” The one that I really wanted was under the “Uniquely Ordinary” gallery and is called “Steps,” but that photo is one that looks much less impressive on a smaller scale than it does in a large size, and I couldn’t afford the large one, so I decided to hold out. I am also extremely fond of “Paper White” in that same gallery.

I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts on art and how you choose (or don’t choose) it.