Four big reasons to attend the LA Fine Print Show:
- Admission is free!
- You will see and touch hundreds of amazing works!
- The California International Antiquarian Book Fair is two blocks away!
- Pasadena and San Marino architecture is breathtaking!
There are other, less obvious but more compelling reasons to consider owning fine prints. The fine print is such a versatile, affordable art form. Anybody who is looking to own something historic and original should peruse these offerings.
Consider the following:
Affordable. Prices vary, but you will find an astonishing number of works for $50 – $400.
Size. Most fine prints range from paperback-sized to about 12 square inches. They will fit anywhere, including your hip Airstream trailer.
Original, Historic and Limited. You will encounter prints and styles from artists you recognize. Their beauty and importance are timeless. The print runs don’t normally go higher than 200, so there is a natural limitation. They started as hand carvings by artists in media such as limestone, wood, wax, etc. and hand-fed singly through a press, often more than once depending on the colors. These were never mass produced and it shows.
Subject Matter. Prints cover everything. Rather than take my word for it, check out the subject matter list from Annex Galleries, one of the event participants.
Color. The inks and dyes from the respective time periods were made to last and are brilliant. The same holds true with the monochrome wood cuts. Note how something like this just pops:
Original. Granted, everybody’s definition of original is different and there is no accounting for taste. I don’t care! I am opinionated on this subject and I must share this anecdote: Sometimes I enter an expensive home and notice an original Dali or Erté on the wall. I say to myself “this person buys their art at Martin Lawrence Gallery.”
Find and indulge your taste. Surround yourself with beauty. It is easier and more affordable than you think.
Once you have attended the Fine Print Show in Pasadena and acquainted yourself with everything there, you may want to check Diana’s Finds in Irvine for an extensive inventory of Fine Art and vintage prints