PHOTO: Chen Wenling Sculpture by The Sea
On Thursday night I had an interesting conversation with a friend about weather doing limited edition prints devalues the original work. 3 months ago I did my first limited edition prints, and felt it was absolutely the right thing to do. As with any idea that I pursue, I do it with a great deal of research and certainty that it will be best way to go forward as well as protect my artistic reputation and integrity, that's why the editions are in small runs, no more than 30.
I went to the opening of Cockatoo Island on Thursday night , a super event, but it wasn't until Sunday that I opened the free bag that everyone was given as they left the Island and found a promotion for the Art series Hotels. "The art series hotel group showcase Australian art on a grand scale by dedicating hotels to individual artists." Which artists you may be wondering? Only the most established and recognizable names in the Art world CULLEN< OLSEN< BLACKMAN. And what type of art do they show there you may wonder? That's right the works are archival museum quality Giclee prints, made in editions no larger than 45 but generally between the 20-30 mark.
However big name artists, and the string of contemporary street artists that now get limited editions were not the first. Of course Norman Lindsay lived off his prints, and another great example was John Coburn surely one of our most innovative artists, also being quite innovative in a business sense installing a printing studio in the backyard shed, and printing some of his most famous works. Long Before This Daumier had his works printed in the newspaper, and soon to follow were members of the impressionists most notably Monet.
John Olsen's Giclee prints can be found upstairs in Tim Olsen's Gallery for around $2500, and also out the back of Ian Dawson gallery. The reason why more commercial galleries are slower to get on board is clearly that the Artist has to be of a certain level in their career to demand a good enough price in their prints for them to weigh up the effort of selling them.
perhaps this is why younger artists sell prints online, or in the young emerging galleries, (in shows and online) keen to provide a source of income for their artists. As a friend who deals in commercial print astutely noted that consumers have changed their buying habits so this type of purchasing is not only the norm, but those without this service are at a disadvantage in this changing climate.
The other great thing is once the whole thing is set up either online or with an agent , you don't really need to think about it. The money is just paid directly into an account. This leaves more time than ever for the artist to earn more of income whilst concentrating directly on their original art.
I just came back from Sculpture by the sea.....the best in several years, and noticed something that I probably never would have if I hadn't of been thinking of the whole making art in editions process. After walking the trail and seeing all of the large and (original sculptures) I went into the small sculpture room and noticed that sculptors also make work smaller than the original in editions.
Artists such as Chen Wenling from China made his Red Memory priced at $6200 in an edition of 300, . Obviously 300 is a huge edition, others like Hugh Ramage made his Harlequin Dazzle in an edition of eight. It was clear that artists like Chen couldn't live off just $6200 from making just one small version of Red Memory. I couldn't help thinking that it didn't matter that if the original Red memory costing many thousands never sold, it was the perfect promotion for these tiny Red Memory editions, which allow him to keep making very large and expensive work, and to help ship large work all over the world, and actually living it up because 300 x $6200 is $1,860,000!! get on down CHEN.
Making prints is a way to reach a broader base of collectors, some of them will never be able to afford an original, but 3 people who have bought one have made serious inquiries on my original paintings. Obviously if they come through it will be better than placing an expensive add in top magazine , or doing an art fair with expensive rental costs.
The thirst for an original piece of art, to be a collector that owns the only one will never be replaced by a print, nor will making prints of the original devalue the original. Has making posters and every conceivable image on earth of the Mona Lisa or the impressionists for that matter made the original works any less fascinating or quelled the punters enthusiasm to behold it in the flesh. I think not.
Last year my paintings had another increase in price, and this year there have been more inquires on my paintings, and mixed media drawings than ever before from every part of the Nation. So while that part of my original work remains as exciting as ever, new ways to create art and sources of income including limited editions are always of interest to me. Of course some people will always be afraid of progression and the future, such as some of my old teachers who don't see Giclee printing as real prints, but if it's good enough for Blackman, Cullen and Olsen it's good enough for me.
