Editions

       I have a group of friends who are sculptors... I have seen them do
over the years make images in clay, make molds and then cast them in
bronze.... What has happened is that the edition ( typically 6 to 10 ) of
several of the figures have sold out quickly as they were very desirable
.....
      Most artists lack money so some of them continued the edition with
out numbering them and with out informing the previous clients who had
purchased numbered pieces ......They sold them elseware in the
US......Others continued making castings from the same mold only using
other metals such as stainless steel.. They would create a edition of
Stainless, bronze, aluminum, silver, ect Although I feel this is ethical
they did it with out informing previous clients... ....
    My feelings are in photography a edition would be a print made from a
particular negative and a particular process combination no matter the
suptile differences ( actually a good selling point as they in reality are
one of a kind images) ... I think it is perfectly ethical to create a
special separate edition made from a entirely different processes and
still using the same negative. But when it runs out , let it runs out ,
no matter how popular the image. Keep this in mind when you start the
image edition... In other words, do not place a edition of 6 on one of your
best images that you have ever taken.....
         I think we should live by our word ... If we do not , our word
becomes meaningless.. In other words no matter what you say or do has any
meaning or substance... If we do not live by our word there is a price to
pay.......... As a example I have seen these sculptors that cheat a little
go into cycles where they do not create much of any new work.. They get
stuck in a rut of only doing the figures that sell. Then when doing new
work, it highly resembles the very successful work they had previously
made..... They are stuck in the mud as far as I am concerned and are paying
that price whether they know it or not....
John Cremati
Received on Sun Jul 4 06:36:55 2004