Taste Without a Trust Fund -- part 2 (prints)

I know, I know. Some art expert probably told you not to buy prints, because multiples don't appreciate as much as unique works. So what? Personally, I think prints are the BEST thing for a new collector, because they're relatively affordable and easy to resell if your tastes change later on (which they almost always do.) How affordable is "affordable"?

Well, here's something so exciting I almost hate to tell anyone else about it. Jen Bekman's gallery officially launched their 20x200 project, selling original digital prints by good artists for -- wait for it -- $20 each. The so-simple-it's-brilliant idea is that if prints are sold in a large-ish edition (in this case, 200), anyone with a disposable income can afford to buy them. 20x200 has already signed up artists like Brian Ulrich and Whitney Biennial alumna Zoe Strauss. You can sign up to receive email notifications when new prints and photos go on sale.

A few other sites, like Tiny Showcase and BlueFlip, have a similar philosophy. (I especially love the Saurkids prints at BlueFlip). Of course, these cheap prints aren't likely to be investments. That's a lot to ask from a $20 purchase.

If you're looking to Collect Seriously, you can buy handmade prints from an ADAA gallery like Pace Prints, which has a limited section of "Prints under $1,000" on their website. Diane Villani, president of the International Fine Print Dealers Association, also offers prints under $1,000. And if you're willing to consider art made before last Tuesday, check out the IFPDA website -- many members have 19th and 20th century prints at three-figure prices.

[UPDATE] Steve Roach has a great post about print collectors clubs, which I neglected to mention. The Lower East Side Print Shop in particular is a great place to look for new prints. Their "mystery print" program offers collectors a bargain price, with the caveat that you don't know the artist or the image before you buy. I'm too much of a control freak for that, but the program has offered some wonderful (and now costly) prints.

But in my experience, some of the best bargains come from the toniest auction houses. Check out the day sales at Sotheby's and Christie's. Prints by well-known artists often sell for under $1,000, especially when everyone else is there for the big splashy paintings.

(Next month in "Taste Without a Trust Fund," we'll look at the art form formerly known as "craft.")

UPDATE: The 20x200 prints are selling out in the large-format $2,000 price range, while the $20 pieces still have plenty of inventory avaliable. It's exactly the opposite of what I would have predicted. Interesting...


Photos: Top: Jennifer Sanchez print, available from Jen Bekman gallery for $20. Bottom: Lisa Young's stunning and evocative "Canyon of Heroes/Ticker Tape 2001" print available at Pace Prints for $900.