Why my father and I created Signed Art Prints

It is difficult being an artist today, especially when it comes to 2-dimensional art like painting, photography, and original graphic art. While a few artists do earn a living from it, the vast majority don’t. This is because it is quite difficult for good art to stand out.

One reason for the massive amounts of art available online, is that much of it is not original, often copied or altered, and then mass-produced. Digital technology has made this dilutive process easier, faster, and more common. Unfortunately, the original artists seldom see any revenue from all this derivative art.

While original artwork is typically not easy to reproduce well enough to fool people, this is not the case with prints. Licensed printing companies try to avert this by providing limited edition collections, but the customer is still purchasing from a third party that may or may not be abiding by a contract with the original artist. The relationship between the original artist and the customer therefore is still distant and also diluted.

We believe that the best way to address this is with a decidedly non-digital approach. The idea stems from my father’s years of experience selling his art directly to the collectors, in person so that he could establish a more immediate connection with the new owner of the art.

Signed Art Prints seeks to recreate that direct connection by acquiring the art prints from licensed printers and then authenticating each one personally. Here is the process that we came up with:

1. We receive our prints from high-quality printers who have signed a contract with the artist

2. The original artist hand-signs each print individually

3. The print is also hand-numbered, for example 18 of 25

4. It is assigned a unique serial number, hand-written on the back of the print

5. We provide a signed letter of authenticity for the print

6. We provide free, secure, and insured shipping to customers in the continental US

We believe this reduces the possibility of unauthorized and digitally recreated mass-produced copies. It also reestablishes the connection between the artist and the art enthusiast or collector. Like the original art pieces themselves, the prints also have a personal element from the artist: their signature. This signature is by the hand of the artist, not a digital process, and it is verified with a letter of authenticity.

Because we do this on a small scale, we can guarantee a very limited edition run of each print. Once they are sold out, there are no more. This way we ensure that the prints retain their value and that the original artist is fairly compensated for their work.