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Thread: Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

  1. #1

    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    Recently, our community hosted a 3 day arts fair representing artistic works in all media including several photographers.

    Briefly, those photographers showing their art ranged from gum bichromate prints to straight bw silver gelatin prints to what is called colored "post card", "travel photos" & Impressionistic PS images.

    My observation regarding the two specific catagories (post card & travel photos) is thus: 1) bigger is better, 2) printing is done on a 9600 Epson or the like ,3) the colors are very, very saturated, almost beyond reality towards a overtly paintingly look, 4) the use of stretch canvas to which the image is asfixed in printing.

    It is #4 which I direct to your attention out of curiosity, ie, the use of stretch canvas. Is this in vogue these days????? what are your observations re: this & above?? Please contribute to this question. I thank you for your responses.

    PS (if you wonder where I am media wise, I'm of the straight bw documentary silver gelatin camp)

  2. #2

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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    Was this a juried event? That can have a tremendous effect on what sort of work is presented.

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    Founder QT Luong's Avatar
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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    I don't really know about the current trends, as I don't sell at events. However someone recently placed a special order for a print on canvas. The print was 30x45, from 35mm, and I was truly surprised at how good it looked. BTW, it as a travel post card, to use your terminology.

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    Is that a Hassleblad? Brian Vuillemenot's Avatar
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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    West Coast Imaging lists two types of canvas- Epson canvas and Bulldog canvas. Has anyone used these, and what are the differences?
    Brian Vuillemenot

  5. #5
    Resident Heretic Bruce Watson's Avatar
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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    It's more or less a matte board thing. Often the biggest piece of matte board you can get in NA is 102 x 152 cm (40x60 inches). For conventional framing then (LOC method), you are pretty well limited to these diminsions as your max. frame size. This in turn limits the size of the print that you can effectively window mat to about 75 x 125 cm (about 30x50 inches).

    So, if you want a 100 x 125 cm (about 40 x 50 inches) print from your LF film, how are you going to display it? Conventional framing is out because you can't get the matte board. And we won't even talk about what a PITA a sheet of glass or acrylic that size can be.

    There are a number of ways you can display without "framing under glass." You could face mount to plexiglas. You could dry mount to sentra board, foam core, or even an aluminum sheet (very nice when done right). I'm sure there are a number of other methods. But by far the easiest and least expensive, is to print to canvas and display it on stretcher bars as one would an oil or acrylic painting. If you gallery wrap it on the stretchers, you don't really even need a frame, which makes printing on canvas very cost competitive indeed.

    Bruce Watson

  6. #6

    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    Bruce---------your observatons are on the mark---------canvas stretch pieces are much larger in size than matt board, etc. This art fair was composed of nationally recognized artists, it was not a juried show. Many of the pieces were "gallery wraped & stretch " without frames.

    But again I will emphasis that many of the works were on canvas, heavily saturated in PS color to the point of almost looking like a painter's work.

    I suppose the emotional viewers' appeal is what drives this type of work. Comments???????

  7. #7

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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    The colours to me are usually the giveaway of a digital image, even the most expensive-(in asking price) images have the superoversaturated blue that looks really fake. Maybe it appeals to the buyer and thats why 'natural' looking skies etc are out of vogue.

    CP Goerz

  8. #8
    Resident Heretic Bruce Watson's Avatar
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    Art Fairs/Fetes et al-----Observations

    I see plenty of over saturated images out there. Some on canvas, more from lightjets, but most from straight up Ilfochromes. I've always associated it with a film (Velvia) and not a print process. I've never understood the attraction myself. But then, my favorite film is still Tri-X ;-)

    Bruce Watson

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