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What Does Art Mean to You?
I have a question for you. It's a question that, if you asked to one million people, could give you a million completely different answers...
What does art mean to you?
Art fascinates me. I did a lot of research to see how people define art and I was particularly taken by this quote from American dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp:
"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."
If you have been captivated by a certain piece, stood for minutes that feel like seconds, then you'll understand exactly what she means.
And if you paint, then you'll know what it means to just lose yourself in a painting.
If you're keen on art, you probably know what you like, but can you afford to add the classics to your collection? In a world where Picassos, Warhols, Van Goghs and Pollocks (to name a few) are selling for in excess of $100m, is it possible to be an art collector?
In a word... Yes.
If you think it's tough and exceedingly expensive to buy art today, just imagine if the art world had stayed the way it was prior to the 15th century. Basically, every image was unique. They weren't only one of a kind, but generally locked away in palaces and churches only accessible to a select few.
This all changed in the 15th century with the development of efficient printing processes.
Then famous Parisian Fernand Mourlot from Mourlot Studios invited already famous and celebrated artists to explore and experiment with fine art printing in his studio. Chagall, Dufy, Matisse, Miro, Picasso and many others rediscovered the unexplored art of lithography to create small editions of original artworks for exhibition and sale. Ever since then the demand for lithography has boomed.
Today, most of us could not afford to own an original Dali or Picasso but you could still have a copy of their masterworks on your wall. This is where the idea of a print comes into play.
To give a very simple example, an original painting of Liz 5 by Andy Warhol sold at auction last May for $25 million while an original lithograph signed by the artist can be obtained for a relatively modest $70,000.
Print is an authorised copy of an original work produced for various purposes: they are an alternate form of an artistic expression for the unique qualities a printmaking process lends itself to; a means of promotion of the original painting, idea or exhibition or simply copies of an affordable art which you can hang on your wall.
The process of making a print retains an element of originality rather than just being a photographic reproduction of an image. Even though multiples of the same image are being produced they are not considered a copy but an original.
The process of creating a lithograph can be just as time-consuming and complex as an original painting which is why the print runs are usually kept low to preserve value. These days there are of course simpler way of reproducing original artwork for the commercial market so never assume that a Dali you are buying from an art store is indeed a lithograph.
The thing to really look out for is signed lithographs.
A signature on a lithograph is a quite recent development. The practice is generally attributed to Whistler's brother-in-law, Sir Francis Seymour Haden, who cleverly realised that he could charge extra for a signature (20% uplift in price for a signed lithograph).
The desire for signed impressions is always higher and in some cases (Chagall) attracts forgers who are quick to take an unsigned print and add a signature. You need to be very careful when buying signed lithographs, so remove your fear of being conned by coming through Fraser's Autographs where we can tell a fake from an original.
So, a lithograph gives you the chance of hanging a signed original on your wall from icons such as Picasso, Warhol and Chagall, and what's more, you'll be entering into a booming market.
In the past few years, several major museums and gallery shows have explored the prints of masters ranging from Matisse and Picasso to Warhol and Anish Kapoor. These exhibits increased the awareness among the public that printmaking is an integral part of an artist's development and the prints are finished works of art in their own right.
With such artworks being more frequently displayed, the general demand for prints has risen among buyers as new collectors consider them an attractive entry point for their collection and already established art buyers look to diversify their collections.
In mid-July 2010, on the eve of the National Gallery of Art's show of master prints by Edvard Munch, Bonhams offered a rare hand-colored impression of one of the earliest states of the artist's famous Madonna (1895). The price soared to £1.25 million, twice its lower estimate and was second only to the $2.1 million auction record achieved in late 2007 when Vampire II, a color lithograph, sold at Grev Wedels Plass in Oslo.
A good thing about the modern and contemporary prints is that the prices can fluctuate according to the edition numbers, period and technique. The prices for Picasso prints can start as low as £2,000 and range up to £1.4 million. (An unsigned La Minotauromachiea by Picasso sold in 2010 for £1.27 million, 3 times its lower estimate of £400,000.)
The general demand for prints is high while prices remain reasonably modest. You don't need to enter a bidding war against wealthy art collectors to have your own art collection. But this market is developing quickly. You should get in quickly before the prices really explode.
