Prints: Art in the age of infinite reproduction
You Should Own Art. 3rd Edition
Before we get into this, I’d like to highly recommend a podcast episode that is about loving art. The lads (British) of Talk Art interviewed Stephen Fry (also British) in their holiday episode. It is one of the loveliest conversations about art between art nerds that I’ve yet heard. Give it a listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify. You’ll be glad you did.
When I went to design school, Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” was required reading in the very first studio course. Writing in 1935, Benjamin argues that reproduction of a work of art serves to diminish that work’s uniqueness, and that no reproduction can ever have the authentic value of the original. We were assigned this because the basic thesis, formulated in the early 20th century seemed pretty pertinent in the 21st. Where Benjamin was concerned by the proliferation of printing technology, we were concerned with digital work which challenged the very notion of an “original” work. Which particular arrangement of bits represents the original work, which the reproductions?
This idea of authentic value applies when we think about artist’s prints. Technology has made it very easy for artists to reproduce their work and distribute it. High-fidelity cameras capture the finest details which can then be reproduced to the greatest accuracy. Work can be printed on a huge variety of surfaces, from exotic papers to canvas to aluminum. There are services that are completely automated, allowing artists to simply upload an image and will print on demand at whatever size the customer wants in the moment they want it. In the face of this steely, robotic efficiency, does the specialness of art survive?
I think yes and no. It’s important to appreciate the economics of art from the artist’s point of view. Artists will often put days, if not weeks, into a single work. Their production is inherently limited to what life, inspiration, and craft will allow. This makes dependance on the sale of original works of art for survival a high stakes proposition. It’s natural for many artists to look to printing to better maximize the “investment” they’ve poured into a work.
Not all prints are equal though. I do believe a lot of the value in a work of art comes from the care and craft of the artist. I tend to dismiss the print-on-demand model and look for prints where the artist has obviously been closely involved in the process, where they have issued the print in limited quantities and have signed them themselves. The upside is that prints allow you to bring works that you love into your life that you would not otherwise be able to afford.
So, in this edition I’m presenting a set of prints by artists that I hope you’ll love. AND, by “I”, I really mean “we”. There is a guest contribution by my pal Lauren Serota. On the topic on contributions, I’m really interested to hear about artists or works that you love. You can email me at aric.cheston@gmail.com or just reply to this message.
Finally, the Y.S.O.A. Instagram account will be a lot more active in between editions. Please give it a follow. And, tell your friends. They like art too.
“At Home”
Emilio Villalba
USD $55
Fine art print. Edition of 50, signed by the artist.
I’m a big fan of Emilio’s. He is a real deal painter whose work is deeply informed by the Bigs (especially Velazquez), but is very much alive in the present day. This is part of a series of works that zeros on the details of quotidian existence. I have a print from this same series and gallery. It’s super nice quality. I had it framed!
Also, Modern Eden Gallery has a really (really!) broad variety of works. They’re worth a look/follow.
You can buy this print here.
“Alke and Gerberas”
Jess Dayan
AUS $110.00
Archival Pigment Print. Edition of 25, signed and numbered by the artist.
The composition, color and humor does it for me. Jess’s work carries a lot of influence from Matisse and Van Gogh, but feels really fresh. I think it would be delightful to live with her work.
You can buy this print here.
“Soft Spark”
Laura Berger
USD $150
Archival Pigment Print. Edition of 100, signed and numbered by the artist
Laura’s work lives in the space created by the intersection of illustration, abstraction and figurative painting. I feel like her individual works are postcards from a fully realized world that she’s constructed. I really encourage you to check it out.
You can buy this print here.
Laura’s Instagram
Laura’s website
“Still Life of Space Time”
Thomas Canto
USD $380
Lithograph 3 colors. Edition of 99, Signed by the artist.
Thomas’s work is dense and mesmeric. I cannot imagine how long it takes to make these. I think this is one of those works that unfolds for you over time.
Incidentally, I discovered this at Print Them All. I recommend that you poke around. They have some interesting stuff.
You can buy this print here.
Thomas’s Instagram
Thomas’s website
“As Far As It Gets”
Tina Berning
€175.00
Fine Art Giclée print. Edition of 125, signed and numbered.
I deeply covet/want/desire one of Tina’s portraits. The discipline needed to create work that feels so loose but is in truth deeply considered is significant. I was going to keep this one back for an eventual Portraits edition, but couldn’t bear to wait.
You can buy this print here.
Tina’s Instagram
Tina’s website
“Untitled 2”
Jesse Draxler
£400.00
Limited edition giclée print. Signed.
On the surface, it can seem like Jesse’s into some dark shit. And he might be, but his work is so inventive and often impossibly, artfully clever. He’s also a really an interesting cat, a 21st century creative polymath with a complex body of work. It’s worth exploring.
You can buy this print here.
Jesse’s Instagram
Jesse’s website
“Clover Blossoms”
Valerie Lueth
$275
4-Block Color Woodcut. Signed by the artist.
From Lauren (!):
I've followed Valerie's work for years - it really got me into woodcut prints. She is consistently releasing beautiful prints around a theme, so every year or so there's something new to discover. I appreciate the diversity in her work; I find something I love and something I really dislike in nearly every big release she does. I enjoy watching her explore new paper options, and seeing her approach evolve over the years. Her quality is impeccable, and her prints are accessibly priced.
One of the things I love about woodcut prints - specifically some of hers - is how they skirt the line between "kitschy country house" and "hip color pop." This piece walks that line so well, with subtleties like the blue-to-green gradient, the poke of geometry in the large clover and the paper selection pushing it to feel just a little tidy and modern despite a pretty intensely rococo leaf motif.
You can buy this print here.
Valerie’s Instagram
Valerie’s website
“Gardeners’ Question Time”
Plum Cloutman
£ 220
Etching on watercolour paper. Edition of 15, signed.
I cannot tell you how much I love Plum’s work. It’s just entirely original and weird and delightful. But, it’s rendered with such a high degree of craft and care that you cannot take it at face value. Go and take a look at some of her paintings and drawings. Try and not fall in love. Try!
You can buy this print here.
Plum’s Instagram
Plum’s website
“Fox”
$18
Paul DeVay
Hand carved and printed woodcut relief print on heavy acid free archival printmaking paper. Numbered and signed by the artist.
Paul is an artist and designer I’ve admired for a long time. He creates keenly observed and soulful portraits of animals and layered scenes from the natural world that he clearly loves - and fears for. The process videos that he frequently posts on Instagram are perfect little moments of zen. I strongly recommend you check out his work.
You can buy this print here.
Paul’s Instagram
Paul’s website
“Escaping the human condition”
Igor Moritz
£150.00
Archival fine art giclée print. Edition of 10.
I realize this might not be quite everyone’s cup of tea - or even cup of absinth. But, I like a good challenging bit of figurative art. This work makes me think a bit of Matisse and color. The work on Igor’s site takes me to Alice Neel in that draughtsmanship is bent towards capturing the person and not the form. You should really check out his site.
You can buy this print here.
Igor’s Instagram
Igor’s website (recommended)
So, that’s it for this edition. Thanks so much for subscribing and getting through this whole thing. Feel free to email me feedback - you can just reply to this message - I’d love to hear from you.