Collecting photographs as a fine art genre is a 20th century phenomenom. Photography is perhaps one of the most affordable and rewarding paths for beginner collectors. At the Fraser Gallery, we only sell the work of photographers who take, develop and print their own work. We also require them to use archival methods for processing, washing and presenting the work (via pH-balanced, acid free, conservation archival materials). All of the photographs that we sell are signed by the photographers, and we generally also require that they be from a unique, numbered, limited edition.

Print is the most abused term used in the world of art. A true print is something that the artist has created by hand, such as an etching, or a woodcut or a linicut. The point is that the creation process involves the artist in control of what gets created. Everything else is a reproduction. An Iris print, gyclee print, etc. are just digital reproductions of an artist’s original work. There’s nothing wrong with reproductions, if that is what you want to buy, as long as you know the true difference between reproductions and prints. If you don’t know, then ask! This is a vital question to ask about modern, twentieth-century prints, especially since the introduction of digital technology into the game. Generally speaking, it is better if a print is signed and numbered; although some artists go “beyond” the numbers by having artist proofs, special lettered editions, etc. With rare exceptions, artists only began to keep track of the number of impressions printed from their original plates in the 19th century. Before that, the edition was limited by its popularity and how many could be hammered out of the plate! Goya’s plates were still being used in the 20th century to print and to sell his “Caprichos” etchings. Because the plate deteriorates the more it is used. there are usually noticeable differences between the first and last impressions. A smart buyer should always ask: “How many did the artist print?” and “How many of them are still available?”, as usually prints that are all sold (called “out of print”) tend to go up in price if the demand for them rises.

An art bargain happens in one of two ways: (a) The seller and the buyer have widely diverging ideas on the price of the art or (b) You buy a decent, original piece of art from an emerging artist at a substantially lower price that the art could “command” in a better sellers’ market. The true bargains are also when an art connoisseurs, who knows his art well (and prices) and who can recognize originals from fakes, etc. “runs” into a work of art being offered by someone less knowleable than him/her, on that particular piece. This would usually happen at auctions, or in galleries where art is re-sold, rather than in galleries where the work of living artists is sold. For example, some English prints sell for lower prices in the US than they do for in Britain.

If you are looking to buy art as a financial investment, then you should try buying stocks instead. Most reputable dealers in fine art are at least aware of the “potential” investment factor of a work of art, but there’s no secret formula or “insider knowledge” as to what future prices for a piece of art will be. It all depends on many factors, most of which are quite unpredictable as artists’ popularity and demand rise and fall and sometimes rise again. Reputable dealers can and will often give you their informed opinion, but that is all it is: an opinion! There are of course, works of art that are always “on the rise,” such as works by the masters or very well-established (often dead) artists, but when buying work by contemporary, living artists, the key rule should still be to buy what you like, and avoid anyone that suggests that you should buy it as an “investment.” We do represent artists whose work we think will rise substantially in price in the future, and have a certain “track” record to suggest that. Nonetheless, it is an opinion and an educated guess at best.