Digital BW, The Print

As to quantity limits, the trust of the artist/photographer is about all one has until the photographer dies -- which is why that event is such a major factor.  

Phil Stern just died which resulted in an immediate doubling of the price of his prints from his gallery. You’re correct that the story behind the print is vastly more important than the image. In fact, it might be the only thing of lasting value.


From: mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 12:40 PM
To: DigitalB&WPrint 
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] what do you think?




David wrote:

>... Many will assume that all photographers lie about the value of their work.

I think many already do.

I had an interesting exchange with a friend (MFA, young collector of mostly paintings) who was proudly showing me an abstract, alt. process piece in a relatively high end gallery (generally 4 to 7 figure)  in Santa Barbara where he works.  A lot of the "value" he saw in the piece was that it would be unique, guaranteed by what he thought was the nature of its "hand made, non-digital" nature.  I proceeded to describe to him exactly how I could have made the piece with a digital intermediary, and, likewise, could reproduce the piece in a manner he'd never be able to distinguish from what the gallery had.  

He was discouraged and wondered just what collectors were buying with a photograph.  I don't know, but my feeling is that an authentic and unique signature might be close to the top of the list.  (At the FTC we sued people who falsified such.)  As to quantity limits, the trust of the artist/photographer is about all one has until the photographer dies -- which is why that event is such a major factor.  

FWIW,

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com