|
Discover Art Collecting: The Giclee Print
By Janet Sellers
Giclee prints, a new favored art investment for beginning art collectors, is an attractive way to start a collection.
These are very affordable, have an archival life of up to 100 years, and a signed, limited edition print can increase in value.
Why collect Giclee prints instead of originals? Basically, they fit your purpose if you cannot afford the prices of originals,
have a short-term need for quality images, or require a large number of art works to fill a design/decor need. One can have
prompt access to beautiful giclee art for home, work or wherever it is needed to serve its purpose.
Corporate events and real estate sales styling would be a case in point. The sale or lease of giclee prints in a nice
frame provide stature and style in a corporate lobby or foyer, offices or for special events, real estate sales, open house
styling, interior design and for decor.
Giclee prints are a cost effective way to bring in design elements at a fraction
of the cost of remodeling or redecorating, because art has the power to make a statement without permanently branding the
room.
Artist Denise Macgregor wrote an expert article on giclee prints for About.com, saying, "Its' a bit like writing a song,
you don't sell the song, you sell records." Granted, there is nothing like being in the now with the strum of guitars while
we enjoy looking at original art. Alas, few to none of us have an orchestra or a band at home, so we enjoy our record collections.
We can enjoy art via fine art prints.
Collecting famous masterpieces is the wealthy status game, but every day all
kinds of collectors enjoy the hunt even with meager budgets. Originals and prints can range from ten dollars to tens of thousands
of dollars. That is a bargain compared to purchases in the millions.
Manhattan accountant Ginger Broderick, who advises
art galleries and other businesses on managing money, has some investment pointers:
"...select works by living artists,
buy directly from the artist (for authenticity) and get the artis's certificate of authenticity to keep in your safe deposit
box... Keep a file with press clippings on your favorite artist. Your artwork will appreciate more in value if your artist
gains public recognition for a commissioned piece."'
While the artist's price should be the same as the gallery price (quality artists don't undercut and thereby lose their
gallery support), a personal visit to the artist's studio or art shows and art fairs is educational and fun. Like antiques,
developing a discerning eye for art is partly investment, partly pastime, and most of all an adventure.
How do we
know what to look for in this print art, in the buying or leasing of giclee prints? Artist signature and the imagery are vital,
and the total value of the print itself includes the quality of pigments, the quality of the scan, and the paper quality all
add to longevity. A good giclee print has close fidelity to the original art in terms of tone and hue because of the fine
scan and bubble jet printing method. (Giclee means "spray" or "squirt" in French, for the bubble jet process).
And, while a great frame may add much to the cost of the purchase, it adds nothing to the value of the art, so you'd
better really like that frame, or get a single print and frame it yourself.
There is no loss of quality as in other
art printing forms. It is a watercolor print process, very hard to tell from the original art in most cases. Thick, impasto
oil paintings or fiber art made into giclee prints will not have the same texture, but will indeed have the tonal and color
qualities of the original, and are impressive nonetheless.
Caveat: Do beware of fakes. Do beware of reworked or plagiarized art pieces. Do be aware of unscrupulous dealers. A limited
edition for the prints should actually be limited to 200 or less, so beware of bigger numbers in print runs. They are obviously
not a limited edition of prints. And remember that there are many good galleries, dealers and artists with whom to do business.
All in all, remember that when you are buying the signed art piece from the artist at a gallery opening, studio or
art fair event, that moment will hold a special and very personal memory for you. That is cachet that is priceless.
|
