We have an art foundation here in Blanco County Texas headed up by Benini. He's a decent sort. An immigrant from Italy and a very good 'modern art' painter. He's established a sculpture ranch up in the hills along with his own large gallery and puts on a symposium of artists the last weekend of every month. His gallery features other artists on a regular basis.
I go sometimes to see what's going on. There's usually a couple of photographers and most attendees have some passing interest in photography. They have all taken to using the term Giclee. Every time I hear it I giggle out loud and say something like "oh, you mean ink jet. Giclee is so phony and pretentious." Needless to say this is not winning me any friends.
Maybe I'm wrong but I truly feel like the use of this term is a complete flim flam. Meant to obfuscate the truth, lie to the public, and garner mystery and 'hoi poloi' pretensions to the photographer.
I understand that the photographer wants to get across the information that fine art inkjet processes ARE very different than what the average joe can get out of his HP multifunction machnine and that even with the finest printer around Joe Average would have a tough time getting a fine color or tonally adjusted/balanced print out of it.
But this Giclee thing is not the way. It's so phony. Why don't we just call the prints fine art ink jet prints and if anybody asks, explain that they ARE indeed not just the result of any old inkjet process?
The 'ART' community however has already adopted Giclee. Should we just let it go and take what is offered to us? The ostentatious term does work on most buyers.
Wikipedia's definition:
Giclée (French for "spray") is the use of the ink-jet process for making Fine-Art prints (first done in the early 1990s). Originally the term applied to "Iris" prints created on the Scitex Corp. "Iris Model Four" colour drum piezo-head inkjet proofer. Proofers are specialized commercial printing machines designed to proof or show what the final multi-color process printing will look like before mass production begins. The term "giclée" is frequently used to describe any high-resolution, large-format ink-jet printer output with fade-resistant dye or pigment based inks. It is common for these printers to use between seven and twelve colour inks. Though originally intended for proofing, many artists and photographers use ink-jet printers as an alternative to lithography for limited editions or reproductions.
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