Home     General History Of Printmaking     General History Of Photography        


Glen River's Print Making    

Yale Campus 78 (source)

Yale Campus 78 V2

Yale Campus 78 V3





Yale Campus 78 Series



Unique:
A "Unique" print is one whose design is created on a single matrix using a variety of printmaking techniques in which the artist has interrupted the uniformity by playing with the process, for example: changing the ink color, consistency, stippling, drawing into the wet ink, double striking, lifting ink with a patterned fabric, and any other manner of altering the impression. The print may also be rendered "Unique" by re-working the print after the printing process. for example: painting into a print.

Mixed Media Painting
The print based paintings are mixed media. Usually a combination of the print and pastel, acrylic, and oil. The mixed media painting brings with it significant work in the artists hand.

What is a "rip off" and what is a valid artistic process?
There are printers who offer "enhanced" reproductions (usually of famous art works) which add brush marks. These are usually with a clear media. This is to effect a feel of the artists hand. If the provider is honest in describing what they deliver, it is not a "rip off." It may be "tacky," it may be objectionable to your esthetic sense, but the "rip off" only comes into play when the provider is not honest. It is unfortunate for all the valid artists working in the digital domain, but individuals do exploit modern technology by passing off high resolution prints as originals. Fraud is illegal as well as immoral. Art buyers must be vigilant and well educated before investing. The "Provenance" which is documentation validating a work, and reputation of artist, print maker, and art dealer go a long way to protect the buyer.

Legal but morally questionable.
A lesser mis-representation of the artistic process which may be legal but certainly objectionable, is to claim that a print is an original by altering it with only a few brush strokes. All of these type of questions come into your decision making. The appraisal of the work should be part of your purchasing process.

Who cares?
If you really like a picture and you think the price is worth it, and you are not concerned about the resale value... go for it. Many individuals may disagree about what is valid, but your enjoyment is the point if you are an art lover. If you are an investor, then similar to purchasing stocks, or a vintage car, or antiques, you should do your research to make sure you are not "ripped off."