Art you can afford

In this age of DIY, everyone's an artist. We copy what we can (guilty as charged), frame pages from books or magazines, buy inexpensive reproductions and prints from Etsy, all in the quest for cheap, attractive ways to fill our walls. While I'm all for this--art is one way we make a house a home--I do sometimes feel like everything starts to look the same. The thing about artists is that they are able to share their unique perspective on the world in unique and often powerful ways.

Of course, most of us can't afford "real art," and may never be in a position to buy original works. But artists often also make limited edition prints and objects which are much more affordable. And while they are produced in quantities, they are by definition "limited," so unlike the ubiquitous Keep Calm and Carry On or Like 4 Ever, (both of which I am a fan of, for the record), only 100 or so others will have these pieces, and they will feel unique to your home.

I worked in the arts for a number of years as Deputy Director of the wonderful New York-based public arts organization Creative Time. One of the ways that small arts organizations support their missions is by producing limited editions with the artists they work with, and I am lucky to have some of these works in my home.

This edition was produced for the the annual gala benefit that I put on in 2005, and one of the patrons gave it to me as a wedding gift.

[Fred Tomaselli]

These little works on boards were actually prizes at some of the games in Coney Island when we commissioned artists to create new signs for the amusement district.

[Steve Keene]

For those of you who might be interested in branching out from the usual sources, I thought I'd start a little series on artist's editions and multiples, "art you can afford". Sometimes I'll share a source, like an organization that has a number of editions available, with my picks from their inventory. Other times I will share by category, like limited edition artist's wallpaper or ceramics for the kitchen. Sound good?

To kick things off, I'm keeping it personal and featuring Creative Time. While some of the current editions are still way out of my price range, there are a few pieces at the $100 mark.

(I have long wanted this Jim Hodges print, which hung in my office when I worked there, but at $5,500, it's just a tad out of reach. This photo doesn't really do it justice--those shapes are cutouts in the paper, and underneath are layers of paper in different textures and colors, and it is just ethereal)



I have this poster my Eve Sussman in my kitchen. It's hand screen printed on brown craft paper, and it's big: 30 x 44. I love the vintage vibe and the color palette. Signed. $100


This poster from Takashi Murakami is really fun, and would look great in a kids room or bathroom. It is about 22" square and $200.



Most of you are probably familiar with William Wegman. I'm not a dog person, but I actually do like his images of weimeraners--so much humanity. This poster is 22x23, signed, $100.


I love this poster from Gary Hume. It is a photograph of a huge sculpture he installed on the plaza of the Ritz Carlton on the lower tip of Manhattan. 22x23, signed, $100.


And finally, with all the unrest in the Midle East, I'm loving Nancy Burson's poster from 2002, Focus on Peace. 20 x 28. Signed. $50. I might have to pick this one up myself!


All prints can be purchased through the store, here. If you head over there, I highly recommend checking out the work of Creative Time. I would need many posts to share all of my favorite projects. Like Vik Muniz hiring a skywriter to paint the sky with cartoon clouds, or Jenny Holzer projecting poetry on New York's Landmark buildings, to name just two.