Technology has made leaps and bounds since the first print was inked and pressed. The computer has revolutionized the process into what is now commonly called a Giclee print. Basically, it is the exact same process when you take a photograph, down load it into your computer and print it out on your ink jet printer. The printers, software program, inks and paper that are used are higher in quality, but the process is the same. About 98% of these prints are reproductive. It is a copy of another work of art. They can be printed on paper, canvas, material, & practically anything else. Artist will "enhance" these prints by using paint to high light certain areas and they then sign and number them.
So why do I hate them? It's not the print that I hate so much as the insinuation that they are fine art prints. A fine art print is an etching, engraving, lithograph (not an offset lithograph), wood cut, etc in which the artist created their design on a matrix and it is not a copy of a painting or other work of art. A giclee can printed on paper or a shower curtain, the originality and artist involvement is the same. It breaks my heart that a collector will pay thousands of dollars for a giclee believing that they are acquiring an original work of fine art. Yes, giclees are in editions, but with computer technology, all that has to be done is change the size and what it is printed on and another edition is created.
If you decide that you want a giclee, just be aware of what it truly is. I realize that you can enjoy a cz as easily as a diamond, but hopefully you will not pay the same price or expect a cz to be a diamond. It's the same concept.
Seaside Art Gallery specializes in just original works of art.
If you've ever turned over a piece of jewelry and noticed a tiny stamp reading 925, you may have wondered what it means. Is it real silver? Is it valuable? And what's the difference between sterling, coin silver, and pure silver?
At the heart of the etching genre lies its mastery of intricate detail, the kind that’s perfect for depicting illustrations and the lives of people across the ages in candidness and accuracy.
An award-winning master artist, teacher, and wildlife enthusiast, David Hunter enjoys demonstrating the craft of depicting animals and the great outdoors in his etchings. His wonderful interpretations of the Outer Banks are no exception, and they often herald the celebration of classic American summers and their natural settings.
