In the same way a new shade of lipstick can freshen up a look, the simple addition of a new work of art can reinvigorate your walls and breathe new life into your home. Below we've highlighted 10 works from this collection (all priced at or under $250) to help you create or enhance a beautiful space without depleting your wallet.
10 Beautiful Works ($250 and under)
1. Beach, Serge Hamad ($75)
Serge Hamad contrasts a bright blue sky and surf with a white sand beach to create a scene of impossible perfection. We'll forgive the illusion; sometimes the most beautiful places are composed of pure fantasy.
2. Carmen, Judith Hudson ($250)
Initially perceived as a bright red poppy floating through the sky, this photograph tickles the imagination as legs are revealed, peeking out from under a ruffled skirt. Don't worry… despite its playful subject matter, by collecting this work you can still earn culture points. This image is a still from the artist's video work entitled Carmen—
its soundtrack being George Bizet's opera of the same name.
3. Chelsea Hotel (British Glamour), Pamela Hanson ($250)
Gone may be the days of whiling away the hours over glossy magazines, of clipping and saving favorite images and pinning them to bulletin boards. Fortunately, we have a grown-up solution: the fashion photography of Pamela Hanson. You're welcome.
4. Counterpassant, Kara Maria ($100)
Although this composition by Kara Maria depicts an innumerable amount of flying birds, it is far from a chaotic composition. On the contrary, the translucent silhouettes layered one upon another results in a calming effect. With its on-trend colors and soothing pattern, it wouldn't be surprising to see this print go viral on Pinterest.
5. Olsen Twins, Don Florence ($150)
When collecting works of beauty, it would be remiss to leave out a celebrity portrait of the former child TV stars, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Don Florence uses his signature Pop Art-influenced style of saturated colors and moody expressions to capture the essence of the now-wunderkinds of the fashion world.
6. Pink Blossoms, Sally Gall ($250)
Though best known for her black-and-white photographs, Sally Gall couldn't resist capturing this shot of bright pink cherry blossoms against a solid blue sky. We can't blame her—the stunning result achieves such a sharpness and vivacity that it makes our Instagram albums from Sunday strolls around the city pale in comparison.
7. Prospect Park 11.09.2009, Todd Matarazzo ($100)
Dog lovers, rejoice. Part of his Off-Leash series, Todd Matarazzo perfectly captures a zen-like moment in an early morning walk through the park with his dog. Meant to raise awareness about off-leash hours in both Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Central Park in New York City, while inspiring similar policies in other locations, this well-meaning photograph benefits both dogs and their owners.
8. Planeta Perola II, Sylvia Martins ($200)
Clipped from a Sotheby's catalog and digitally altered, Sylvia Martins transforms a standard image of a pearl surrounded by a cluster of diamonds into an other-worldly composition. These manipulated jewels would serve as the perfect accessory to any room by adding a pop of color to a neutral wall.
9. Waxed Bra, Bastienne Schmidt ($200)
Bastienne Schmidt's delicate and intimate portrait of a lace bra (constructed out of wax and then photographed) results in a new brand of feminist art, one in which works can maintain beauty while making a statement on the role of women in contemporary households.
10. Untitled (American Morning), Poppy de Villeneuve ($100)
Often beauty is overlooked. Poppy de Villeneuve has made it her career to prevent these oversights by snapping candid photographs of people with their guards down and places that would otherwise disappear into the horizon line.
