Digital BW, The Print

Hi Mark,

I agree with your previsions, but I'm not sure I really made 
up my point about the lack of acceptance for inkjet prints in 
galleries.

A buyer of silver prints operates in a known environment. For 
example I was in a gallery last saturday and I looked at many 
prints. I could see myself buying a Michael Kenna print, because
they are beautiful prints of beautiful photographs, hand made by 
a photographer at the top of his art. Only a given number will be 
made.

Now what if Kenna started making inkjet prints. Would I buy one, 
even if it looked very nice? Probably not unless it was much cheaper 
than his silver prints. How would I be able to tell if his inkjet 
prints are really above what 99% of other photographers produce, 
since there is no history or even awareness of this medium, and a 
great deal of the print quality can be attributed to the printer 
performance.

I'm afraid that inkjet printing is where silver printing was in 
Edward Weston and Ansel Adams early years. It took time to establish 
that making a fine silver print was an art, and that fine prints 
are rare collectible objects. 

It still remains to be proven that inkjet prints are also rare 
collectible objects. In fact how is an inkjet print different from 
a well printed page from an Art book which may also use stochastic 
screening? The way (and the machine) which applied the ink to the 
paper?

People will spend lots of money to buy rare collectible objects. 
I believe your way # 2, Mark, is the answer, but it would have to go 
further than a simple coating (or laqueting) step.

"2. Someone comes up with a way to coat them, or write on them, 
 or paint on them, or laquer them, or something/anything, to make 
 each individual print UNIQUE. <snip>"

I don't find the idea of selling cheaper prints over the web very 
exciting myself, and I don't think it would be very successful.

Gregory