I think I understand why painters are sometimes reluctant to make prints and posters of their work. As a theater director, I could never stand to watch video recordings of my productions. They seem so cheesy and "flat;" all of the energy that develops from the live experience doesn't translate to the two dimensional medium. The same must be true for a painter: the copy just doesn't measure up. One can get close with a Giclee print on high quality paper or canvas, but even these fall short of the original.
However, original art is expensive. Most people would not go out and buy a painting for 4,000 dollars, or even a Giclee print for 400. The first work of art that I ever purchased was a poster of "Eve of St. John" by Peter Hurd (tempera on canvas, 1960). I love this painting, so I bought the poster. Then I spent nearly 200 dollars on matting and framing. It still hangs above my fireplace mantle and depicts a terrain very similar to the one that can be seen through the adjacent window in my Ramona, California home. Now, had I been able to afford the original, or even a limited print, I would have bought it. But if it hadn't been available in poster form, I would not have enjoyed it so intimately for so many years. In fact, I owned the poster for several years before I learned that it was on permanent display at the San Diego Museum of Art just thirty miles away. I now go once a year to view the original and appreciate it that much more.
So, just like when I viewed a video copy of the Broadway production of "Into the Woods," and was sure it was nothing like the experience of attending the show in New York, I was able to appreciate it enough to decide to produce the play. I think it is important for artists to get copies of their works in various formats, so that more people can see, own, and appreciate their art. The "Mona Lisa" is only as valuable as it is today because so many people have seen and recognize it.
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