With all the latest technologies and innovations capturing people’s attention nowadays, it can seem quite incredible that many are still committed to making time for something that, at first glance, is nowhere near as exciting: art. In fact, recent studies suggest that people are actually starting to feel more strongly about the importance of the arts for the well-being of both individuals and communities and that the millennials (the cohort born roughly between 1980 and 1994) are becoming the most prominent collectors in the art community.
More specifically, millennial women are the biggest spenders, with 34% spending over $1 million in the past twenty-four months compared to 25% of men. And while painting, sculpture and photography are very popular and well-known to aficionados, there has also been growing interest for printmaking, although this particular art form remains relatively obscure. However, that doesn’t make it any less meaningful or impactful for those who know how to appreciate it. If you’ve been looking to diversify your artwork collection by adding some prints, here are some of the things you should know.
The craft
When you’re looking for fine art prints for sale, you will most likely be presented with a wide range of options to choose from. Choosing only a few will be a challenging experience, especially if you’re new to the art world and don’t know what tell-tale signs you should be looking for. One of the first things you should become familiar with is the range of processes used to create prints and engravings. Having a reasonable understanding of the craft that goes into making these pieces can give you a keener eye for the details and allow you to differentiate something that is well and tastefully made from something that is not. It can also help you determine which styles you’re more likely to enjoy so that you can narrow down your search a little in the future.
Familiarizing yourself with the history of printmaking will also inform your understanding of what a good art piece is. Woodcut, a kind of relief print, is the earliest printmaking method in existence and was likely developed as a means of attaching patterns to cloth. However, by the 5th century, China had already turned to using the process in order to add images and texts to paper. Engravings appeared around the 1430s in Germany and were originally used by goldsmiths as a means to decorate precious metals. Etching appeared in the early 1500s, mezzotint in the 1600s, then aquatint, drypoint, and lithography two years before the turn of the 19th century.
Nowadays, digital printing and direct-to-garment printing, a technique that uses specialized ink jet technology to add prints to textiles, are widely used around the world. When looking at the history of printmaking, it is incredible to see how resilient and versatile the process actually is and how it has managed to stay relevant over the years through the incorporation of the latest technologies and developments while maintaining the same core concepts at the same time.
The condition
Buying art is not something that should be done hastily or as a sort of impulse purchase. Instead, you need to make sure you take your time to choose the best pieces that truly mean something to you. Art is an investment, not something that should be treated lightly. When purchasing fine art prints, you must inspect their condition very carefully, first and foremost. Look for any deterioration that could impact their quality, such as creasing, tearing, or fading. Foxing, the process through which documents get a brown tint or spots over the years, can also impact the look of a print. In most cases, fine art prints can be restored by an expert, but if you believe the expenses of this restoration work to be far too excessive, you might want to consider skipping on this purchase altogether.
The provenance
Making prints of the work produced by other artists isn’t against the law, but claiming that these artworks are original constitutes an illegal act. Unfortunately, as the art world is gaining prominence among members of the general public, the issue of forgeries is also becoming more commonplace, and it can sometimes be challenging to tell them apart from original works. Authenticity is an essential factor, so you should check for signatures that can attest to the fact that the print is an original. Make sure to always buy from reputable dealers, art galleries, and online platforms that can provide certificates of authenticity for the items they sell.
The edition
Knowing the edition of a print will determine if the price you are about to pay for it is justified or not. As for all other goods, the lower the number in circulation, the more valuable a print will be. The scarcity and rarity of the item contribute to its value. Open editions are naturally not as valuable, although this can also vary depending on the case. Sometimes, an open edition can be quite valuable if it is very old and most of them have been lost to time. These conditions have made the commonplace pieces into something rare, so their value gets a natural boost. A print’s exhibition history and previous ownership credentials will also add tremendously to its value and importance for the art world.
Quality and care
The quality of the art you purchase should never come into question and is one of the most important considerations you should make. The printing medium used, the ink, dyes, and the material used will impact the appearance and longevity of a piece. With the right care and optimal storage, fine art prints can last for centuries, but if these conditions are not met, they can start degrading in a matter of months. Make sure you have the necessary resources to take care of the art you buy in the long term.
Printmaking is an ancient form of art that continues to be relevant to this day. When you’re looking to bring some of these pieces to your home, you must first evaluate the quality and condition of the items, understand their history and where they’re coming from, and ensure that you can store and preserve them in an adequate manner.
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