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In a world of mass production and imitation — of repetitive images
reproduced on everything from calendars to coffee cups — original
works of art remind us of the importance of individual expression and
craftsmanship. Original works of art possess a physical presence and
vitality that posters lack. Posters cannot capture the scale, intensity,
color, texture, and personal "signature" of an original
artwork.
The real deal
The question of authenticity — whether a work of art really is an
original work of art by a particular artist — is not a question
that you have to consider at NextMonet.
To be sure, authenticity is an important issue in the art world. To
take advantage of a thriving art market, some unscrupulous individuals
may misrepresent a student's work as that of the master, add a
signature to an unsigned work, or remove the telltale signs of a
reproduction and pass it off as an original. Remember the scandal many
years back of Salvador Dali's signature appearing on works that he
himself did not create? At NextMonet, every work of art is guaranteed
to be exactly what we say it is. This guarantee is
unconditional.
Originality
Originality is a very complicated topic, and is the subject of
much heated debate. For the sake of clarity, we have divided
the subject into two topics:
Spotting posters
Many of us begin our involvement with art by purchasing posters.
Often, our first posters are reproductions of a Monet, Picasso,
or Van Gogh. But what if it's not obviously a poster? How
can you tell?
Below are three enlargements of the same two objects. Each
enlargement is magnified more than the last. Now you can see
clearly the difference between the original and the reproduction.
The poster reveals, at high magnification, the colored dot pattern
typical of color printing, whereas the original shows, at any
magnification, the brush strokes of the artist.
Multiple originals
A work of art can be original without being unique. Multiple originals
allow more people access and opportunity to own an original work of art
by his or her favorite artist. The number of unique works that an artist
can produce each year is limited — many will make only a few pieces
a year. And as an artist gains recognition and demand for his or her
work increases, so does the price. Multiple originals allow the artist
the ability to create more work in the same amount of time and at more
affordable rates.
Multiple originals are typically created from a single source plate,
block, or stone alongside a master printer. The artist makes an infinite
number of artistic decisions and judgments: how much of what inks should
be used, how the plate should be inked, how wet the paper should be, how
much pressure should be applied to pull the print, etc. In a multiple
original, the artist created the work specifically for that medium.
Variations on a theme
Sometimes, an artist will choose to make monoprints from the same plate.
Take a look at the images above of two prints in an edition by Rupert
Garcia. In these two pieces, the artist has inked the plate very
differently — one lightly, and the other heavily. In addition, he
has inked the yellow and orange face differently. Both prints come from
the same plate; both are prints from the same edition, but each is
obviously original.
True originals are true to their vision
Originality is the result of a unique vision and a gifted artist
successfully expressing him- or herself. An artist does not have to use
entirely new subject matter or innovative artistic methods to be
original; like a great poet who combines familiar words in a
thought-provoking way, an inspired artist makes recognizable imagery
like a human body, a house, or a tree seem fresh and evocative. If
the artist is successful at conveying his or her inspiration, then
this artist's style will seem original.
Obviously, the struggle to be true to an artistic vision is not an
easy one. Artists spend their entire lives with this struggle. Part
of the reward of collecting art is bearing witness to and supporting
the struggle of artists whose work conveys inspiration to you.
The artists below work in highly individualistic styles. Click on
any one you like, and learn about the piece.
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| Amy Horowitz |
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Rudy Vega |
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Jason Byers |
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Larry Bemm |
Next: Value — Why is art expensive?
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