Comments on: Signing Your Prints on the Reverse, Part 2 of 3 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/ It's Your Business Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Carol Stevenson http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-7394 Carol Stevenson Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:50:05 +0000 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/?p=643#comment-7394 Whether to sign on the print or the reverse has become a huge question for me as I'm preparing for my first exhibition in the high end fine art market. Thomas himself saw the prints in question and recommended signing on the reverse. I have also consulted with another high end NY gallery expert and they concur, citing signing on the front was more towards the commercial market. But they also said it was OK to sign on the mat as well even at the high end. That left me confused. So I went back to the postings on this subject and thought about the concept and how I would look at the image for the first and hundredth time. My conclusion - in my case, its all around the image, I don't want to distract that. Therefore I'll be signing on the reverse Thank you Thomas. Carol Whether to sign on the print or the reverse has become a huge question for me as I’m preparing for my first exhibition in the high end fine art market.

Thomas himself saw the prints in question and recommended signing on the reverse. I have also consulted with another high end NY gallery expert and they concur, citing signing on the front was more towards the commercial market.

But they also said it was OK to sign on the mat as well even at the high end. That left me confused. So I went back to the postings on this subject and thought about the concept and how I would look at the image for the first and hundredth time. My conclusion – in my case, its all around the image, I don’t want to distract that. Therefore I’ll be signing on the reverse

Thank you Thomas.
Carol

]]> By: Thomas Werner http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-364 Thomas Werner Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:36:41 +0000 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/?p=643#comment-364 James, There are indeed many choices available to photographers, and many galleries that ask photographers to mat and frame, the post was speaking to a specific kind of contemporary photography that exists in a specific kind of gallery. It also pointed out that contemporary business models change, as we need to be aware of that as artists. I would suggest you look at the photographs being shown at galleries such as David Zwirner or Matthew Marks, or any number of contemporary art galleries exhibiting photography to begin to give you an idea of some of the kind of work I am speaking of. These galleries, and gallerists, as well as a number of museums and non profits are indeed concerned with the "conversation" that a photographs creates with its audience as well as the "concept" of the piece, and the "context" or the image, or where it is positioned both in terms of its place in photographic history, and the photographic conversation as well as where it was created to exist physically, and does exist physically. A mouthful I know. In terms of signing your print, I am not saying that signing on the reverse is the only way to do so, but I am saying that it is the appropriate way for the contemporary gallery context. Those are two very different things. Each photographer should create and sign their work as they wish, but they should also make those choices as informed artists, understanding the implications of their choices and how they might be viewed in certain galleries or museums. Whether we like it or not these our choices will indeed have an effect on when and where your work may be exhibited, and at what price point. This leads me to the third post on signing your prints, your market, in the near future it will be coming to a local ASMP Strictly Business Blog near you! As always, thank you for taking the time to state your opinion, it is what makes the blog work and these conversations valuable. Thomas James,
There are indeed many choices available to photographers, and many galleries that ask photographers to mat and frame, the post was speaking to a specific kind of contemporary photography that exists in a specific kind of gallery. It also pointed out that contemporary business models change, as we need to be aware of that as artists. I would suggest you look at the photographs being shown at galleries such as David Zwirner or Matthew Marks, or any number of contemporary art galleries exhibiting photography to begin to give you an idea of some of the kind of work I am speaking of. These galleries, and gallerists, as well as a number of museums and non profits are indeed concerned with the “conversation” that a photographs creates with its audience as well as the “concept” of the piece, and the “context” or the image, or where it is positioned both in terms of its place in photographic history, and the photographic conversation as well as where it was created to exist physically, and does exist physically. A mouthful I know.

In terms of signing your print, I am not saying that signing on the reverse is the only way to do so, but I am saying that it is the appropriate way for the contemporary gallery context. Those are two very different things. Each photographer should create and sign their work as they wish, but they should also make those choices as informed artists, understanding the implications of their choices and how they might be viewed in certain galleries or museums. Whether we like it or not these our choices will indeed have an effect on when and where your work may be exhibited, and at what price point.

This leads me to the third post on signing your prints, your market, in the near future it will be coming to a local ASMP Strictly Business Blog near you!

As always, thank you for taking the time to state your opinion, it is what makes the blog work and these conversations valuable.

Thomas

]]> By: James Bland http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-345 James Bland Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:02:30 +0000 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/?p=643#comment-345 I couldn't disagree more with the author's conclusions. The presentation of photographic art has had many choices and those choices grow, but most of the formats have been around for decades. Mats and Frames are a standard imposed on the photographer by the gallery or physical protection needs, there is no commentary unless the frame is unduly ornate detracting from the image. Floating, tiled, canvas etc. With respect to the artist's signature, beyond a convention, it seems to me that an artist should be proud enough of his work to sign it where people can see who created the image without having to remove the image from the wall, not to mention contact the artist to buy another print. If a photographer is competent enough to be able to sell an image to a customer, they are competent enough to judge how to sign the work and present it. Otherwise, why not just sell the signed print and leave the framing to the customer/gallery and charge the same price, or better yet raise the price for passing the artistic discretion to the customer. It would certainly be more profitable and less hassle. Tthe author is the one who is placing limits and conventions on photography by declaring a new standard, as if to denigrate all work prior to his proclamation or current/ contemporary observations. Photographs that make comments belong in the media or documentaries and are poor subjects for art. Photographic art should challenge and evoke emotions and feelings. I couldn’t disagree more with the author’s conclusions.

The presentation of photographic art has had many choices and those choices grow, but most of the formats have been around for decades. Mats and Frames are a standard imposed on the photographer by the gallery or physical protection needs, there is no commentary unless the frame is unduly ornate detracting from the image. Floating, tiled, canvas etc.

With respect to the artist’s signature, beyond a convention, it seems to me that an artist should be proud enough of his work to sign it where people can see who created the image without having to remove the image from the wall, not to mention contact the artist to buy another print.

If a photographer is competent enough to be able to sell an image to a customer, they are competent enough to judge how to sign the work and present it. Otherwise, why not just sell the signed print and leave the framing to the customer/gallery and charge the same price, or better yet raise the price for passing the artistic discretion to the customer. It would certainly be more profitable and less hassle.

Tthe author is the one who is placing limits and conventions on photography by declaring a new standard, as if to denigrate all work prior to his proclamation or current/ contemporary observations.

Photographs that make comments belong in the media or documentaries and are poor subjects for art. Photographic art should challenge and evoke emotions and feelings.

]]> By: Boston Photographer-MWynne http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-325 Boston Photographer-MWynne Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:57:26 +0000 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/?p=643#comment-325 It is strange to think that visual people such as photographers can so easily step outside of their normal regiment. We will study every aspect of an image crucially and then, once framed, matted or otherwise "finished", we enter our routine mind and sign without thought to the visual. Thanks for the post. It is strange to think that visual people such as photographers can so easily step outside of their normal regiment. We will study every aspect of an image crucially and then, once framed, matted or otherwise “finished”, we enter our routine mind and sign without thought to the visual.

Thanks for the post.

]]> By: Mark Harmel http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/2009/06/signing-your-prints-on-the-reverse-part-2-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-323 Mark Harmel Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:29:40 +0000 http://www.asmp.org/strictlybusiness/?p=643#comment-323 Silly me and I always thought that visual arts is about what you see and what you present for viewers to see. Looks like there is room for a sequel to Tom Wolfe's "The Painted Word". Silly me and I always thought that visual arts is about what you see and what you present for viewers to see. Looks like there is room for a sequel to Tom Wolfe’s “The Painted Word”.

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