Re: Editioning ... and Unique Works of Art

This subject may have been over analyzed!

My $450US starting price is not for hand made paper work. But, your
comment does work as a perfect example of what the "selling" artists
are up against, and it is hardest on photographic artists. Just a few
posts ago I said "You can buy a Burkholder or Enfield or Arentz for the
price of a new chair" and you replied "No thanks, I have photographic
memory of images I like :-)".

So, if my "new chair" price (about $600-900US in my estimation) is too
much for you to even consider, how is my $450 too low? Photographic
work is a low priced art medium. That is great for me as a collector,
tough for me as an artist. I recently did some checking on "mid career
photo artist" prices, so still had these links (all prices in US$):

Dan Burkholder is selling his newest work (platinum over ink) for $375
per print (pre release to gallery prices) and then at $600 per print
once released. I note that his newest work is in standard editions of
50 prints. Perhaps the galleries got to him as well ;-(
http://www.danburkholder.com/Pages/main_pages/pigmented_main_page.html

Dick Arentz is selling his platinum work "starting at $750".
http://www.dickarentz.com/gallery.htm

Ryuijie's small platinums are $400
http://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/ryuijie/ryuijie.html

Shelby Lee Adams prices start at $700 and raises to $2500 as the
edition sells out
Keith Carter's prices range from $800 to $2800 (depending on size and
edition)
Ruth Thorne-Thompson's start at $1000 and raises to $3000 (depending on
size and edition)
http://www.edelmangallery.com/

Kenro Izu's platinum range from $650 to $800
http://www.morehousegallery.com/gallery/
inventory.asp?IsNewSearch=True&UniqueURL=7%2F11%2F2004+1%3A55%3A47+PM

Bruce Barnbaum prints range from $900 to $1500
http://www.agallery.com/

That is the economic reality of the photo art world for living mid
career photographers. I could price my work at $2000, I might even sell
one every other year! But, if I want to move work on a semi regular
basis (and thus "have an audience"), I have to remember that everyone
listed above is better known than I am :-(

On Saturday, July 10, 2004, at 09:05 PM, Ryuji Suzuki wrote:

> From: Tom Ferguson <tomf2468@pipeline.com>
> Subject: Re: Editioning ... and Unique Works of Art
> Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 08:03:09 -0700
>
>> In the more general form, called "edition pricing" by most galleries,
>> the artist still limits the total number of prints.
>
> This may help to slow down reaching to the hard limit (quota?), but
> does not solve the ultimate dilemma that no more of the same image can
> be printed. I don't have music background but if I am allowed to cook
> only so many times out of recipes I devise, I'd be very discouraged.
>
>> I use this form of pricing, so my 11x14 platinum prints are limited
>> to 25, the first 5 are $450US, then next 5 (6th - 10th sold) are
>> $550US, the next 5 (#11th - 15th sold) are $650US, the next 5 (16th
>> - 20th sold) are $750US, and the last 5 (21st - 25th sold) are
>> $900US (double the starting price).
>
> If I remember correctly, you make your own paper yet sell the work for
> $450?
>
> --
> Ryuji Suzuki
> "You have to realize that junk is not the problem in and of itself.
> Junk is the symptom, not the problem."
> (Bob Dylan 1971; source: No Direction Home by Robert Shelton)
>
>
--------------
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
Received on Sun Jul 11 14:40:03 2004