Prints!

As you may know, I was a printmaking major in college and currently work in a print gallery. Not only am I passionate about the process of printmaking (please don't ask my if I am still making prints - it makes me sad), but I really appreciate them as unique and wonderful works of art.

As I work on decorating my apartment, I am on the hunt for artwork. I have some beautiful pieces from friends of mine, pretty much all prints, but also wanted to get some works that I just liked looking at. Of course, while most prints may be less expensive than most paintings, affordable high quality ones are still going to be hard to come by. Enter 20x200.

20x200 is a project run by the Jen Bekman gallery, and I found out about it through a great art resource website, Artlog. The gallery is producing limited editions of digital prints (so no, unfortunately you won't find any lithos...) from various artists. Prints are available in different sizes and specific editions - that way you know that you have one of fifty of these prints, and the artist isn't just going to go wild and print 500 more to become rich. Not that these prices will make an artist rich though. The beauty of this project is that the prints are $20. Yes, you read that correctly: $20. Sure, some are $50, $100, and up to $2000, usually depending both on size of artwork and size of edition. But most are under $100.

Recently, I bought this beauty by Lisa Congdon. I love the bright colors and woodcut feel it has - plus it reminds me of a cheerier version of some of my own prints. Anyway, it was really easy to purchase online, and it arrived within 3 days in this fantastic packaging:

My favorite is the "Delivery for First Class Art Collector" part. It also came with a description of the artist and print, and a little certificate with her signature. Dare I say that the packaging is even better than the product?! It's so campy and wonderful!

Maybe one day I'll be able to shop at the gallery I work for and decorate my home with beautiful Klimt drawings and Munch woodcuts and Goya etchings. But for now, 20x200 is where it's at.

By the way, as I mentioned, I was a printmaker in college, so if you are really looking for inexpensive prints, let me know, I've got piles of prints and drawings to offload. Can't guarantee 20x200 quality packaging, of course.