Downloads
If Marcel Duchamp was alive today he would probably mock the bourgeoise art market by selling his 'readymades' on e-bay....the same could be said of Andy Warhol with his silkscreenprint soup cans..."
Below are the image files of the etchings which you can liberally download and print to your heart's content. The images are restricted in size due to their file sizes. (Although I suppose you can play around with the print size depending on what printing options your printer provides. Check it out).
One advantage of a download is it will be possible to obtain an image that is otherwise not available. However, I should say:
- a download image is only a reproduction; it will not technically and aesthetically have the same long term lifespan and 'handmade quality' that is apparent in an original image; which usually makes an original image desirable over a reproduction. it is one reason that an original image will always be at a much higher cost than a reproduction.
- The download image will be unsigned etcetera.
- Furthermore, anyone who puchases an original print has a heightened satisfaction of owning an individual work.
- Nevertheless, a digital downloaded reproduction is provided here as a 'readymade' alternative.
I recommend an inkjet printer for best quality although a colour laser printer will produce a good enough result.
Personally, textured art paper is appealing but if it is too textured it will impede with the printing process and the grain of the paper will come up as white marks on the image. However, an appropriate textured paper will allow you to have a more realistic or painterly effect. (At the risk of appearing somewhat crude A4 sketchpad acid proof art paper also tends to have the right thickness and texture for a basic digital print).
One suggested A4 art paper that you may like to consider from a reputable paper supplier or art supply shop is:
104 gsm Superfine UltraWhite
In Sydney I buy such paper from an art paper supply shop who charges under 30 cents per sheet so it is also relatively inexpensive. There are other available papers and it more or less comes down to personal taste. After all, cultural appreciation is usually a subjective exercise.
You may want to try cream coloured paper or even grey coloured if that is possible to find and other texture types.
It is up to you if you want any other paper, this is my personal preference but you don't want paper with a high gsm as it may not work on your printer due to the thickness. You may also see if there is any suitable paper and you can also try speckled papers as well etcetera - it is up to you. If you want me to do the print for you that could be a possibility for a suggested fee of say $5 plus postage). Most art shops stock A4 papers which you can choose from and you can ask if the papers (including the ones mentioned above) are acid free which they usually are although sometimes they have recycled material in them.
Anyhow, if it is possible at least see if you can find an appropriate acid free paper that your printer can handle as then there will be less risk to fading and browning of the image over time; if you choose to print an etching on photographic paper I would recommend matt as etchings really don't have a shiny quality to them. I presume if you are not fussy then printing on normal A4 paper used for general photocopying purposes is adequate although I suspect the image may fade much quicker over time yet then again it should be fine if you keep your valued picture not exposed to constant sunlight/light. It's all rather subjective really - isn't it? As the image will become your picture you can also be the best judge of what is desired - don't you think?
As an aside - although an original art object has a heightened aesthetic quality 0 it seems from my reading that it can be deemed a worthwhile philosophical as well as artistic exercise to reconsider the whole issue of the West's preconceptions and notions dealing with the worth of something within the context of the dichotomy of originality and uniqueness versus mass reproduction. (Are such cultural presumptions at all false? it is an ideological debate worth ensuing. I leave it at that...). At the very small scale financial level of my etchings the notion of uniqueness vs reproduction is not really a monumental issue but when a painting sells for millions of dollars it is questionable if such price tags can really be justified.
So tf possible try an inkjet printer using either acid free paper or matt photographic paper.
(By the way with those etchings that are sepia printed on cream paper or are black ink and printed on grey paper they will still give a very pleasing result if you simply digitally print on white paper. I have tried it and am satisfied with the result).
The download files have been prepared in two ways and is up to one's personal preference as to what option/s to consider:
JPG/jpg files - these downloads usually allow you to play around with the size of the print assuming your printer allows you the option in different sizes.
pdf - these files print the image as the size and position on the page as shown on the file.
- As a guide I have provided the number of the etching as it is displayed on site and minimum title details to each image.
- Image files of selected photographs will also be made available for downloads and will title them accordingly and provide information as to where such images appear in the website.
- Although this is definetly a free service donations are welcome (but not demanded). If you want to contribute to this honour approach ( which is much like boarding trains and buses in Europe where the onus is usually on the commuter to do the right thing and have their ticket stamped etc which the majority do and where I got the idea...) I am suggesting a minimum range of say $2 to $5 per image and just for your information administrative costs to Paypal for the transaction comes out of the donation. (So I'm not really asking for that much...furthermore, It seems $1 is the ultimate minimum and if you want to donate and that is all you can afford that's okay. Furthermore, you may want to make a donation even if you print an image directly from a webpage as I know that the size of many images are large so that you may gain a good view of them. It seems for PDF file downloads your computer needs to have Adobe Reader which you can download from the internet).
- There is a donation button at the very bottom of the page. Thank You.
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nic_nicola@hotmail.com
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