Collectors do not often acquire prints since they do not fully understand whether or not they have collecting value. We have decided to explain how to choose the right edition art for your collection.
1. True edition art does not mean copies or reproductions. Artworks created by an artist specifically for making a limited edition, using one of the classical printing methods (lithography, silkscreen printing, wood engraving), have exactly the same artistic value as the artist’s works on paper.
2. It is a MYTH that the value of edition art does not grow. One of Picasso’s first prints (The Frugal Repast, 1904) went for nearly 2 million pounds at Christie’s in 2012, and a Henri Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph in the same year fetched $12.5 million. Banksy’s silkscreen prints, in limited editions of 500 and 700, already cost from 40 to 90 thousand euros.
3. Edition art already existed back in the 15th century. Engraving was one of Dürer’s favourite mediums. Later, Rembrandt created great graphics for reproduction. In the 20th century edition art became an integral part of European culture.
4. Each work is an original print, numbered in a limited edition, for example 5/30, and signed by the artist. The artist has the right to make several (from 2 to 4) copies for his own use, but they are also numbered and limited, for instance, AP 1/3. Thus, at the outset the number of works existing in the market is fixed.
5. Since a print of collecting value is always the result of the collaboration between the artist and a printing studio, the quality of the print, the reputation of the printing studio and the paper chosen are of great importance. When choosing prints for a collection, many factors should be considered. You can always find articles about the latter on the sites of large auction houses (Christie's, Sotheby's) or ask an Art Consultant for free at http://en.jart.market
The photographs show works from the collection on jart.market (Rostislav Lebedev, Oleg Kulik, Dmitry Gutov)
