Dear Ford Smith Gallery Patrons,
You are here because you have a love and interest in fine art. Collecting art is a wonderful way to enrich your life and share in the creativity of
an artist’s expression. We are fortunate to have met and visited with hundreds of collectors over the years - both seasoned and novice - and
we noticed a series of questions that continuously arise on the quest to acquire a meaningful work of art, or simply understand the world of fine
art a little bit better. We have provided answers to these questions for you here.
You may know the answers to some, all or none of the questions, but at Ford Smith Gallery, we believe it is important to address them so everyone
has confidence and knowledge upon entering an art gallery. You may have visited some galleries who seem to specialize in intimidation, and would
prefer to have many of these questions remain unanswered. We are not one of them.
While the art industry is a subjective business, there are certain “truths” that will help any collector in their quest for fabulous artwork. Many people
are timid about asking these valid questions, and they shouldn’t be. A knowledgeable, reputable dealer will be willing and able to answer them.
The Ford Smith Gallery is passionate and knowledgeable about art in a friendly environment. It is our goal to ignite your senses - as well as
inspire confidence in your gallery visit or art acquisition.
Enjoy!
What is a Giclée?
Giclées are quickly becoming the best way to reproduce fine art, but you might
not know
what they are, so here’s a quick explanation! Pronounced “jee-clay”
or “zhee-clay”, the
word giclée is derived from a French word meaning “to
spray or to squirt.” In the simplest
term, it is a digital fine art reproduction.
A Ford Smith Fine Art giclée is a very limited
edition (typically, there are only
100 in each edition) signed and numbered by Ford Smith.
Many of them
have been meticulously and elaborately “ultra” hand-embellished, meaning
that there is an exceptional amount of painting applied to the giclée to create
the notable
texture and tactile quality for which Ford Smith’s limited editions
have become so well-known.
Classically trained artist apprentices, tutored
by Ford, use the same paints that the original
paintings were created with to
embellish each giclée by hand. Ford closely inspects each
and every one
before he completes them with a unique number and, of course, his signature.
If you are familiar with lithography or serigraphy, giclées are the next step in the evolution
of limited fine art reproduction. Giclées are generated from the highest resolution digital
scans or photographs available, and are printed with archival inks onto various mediums,
including canvas and fine art papers. The giclée printing process provides better details
and color accuracy than other means of reproduction - it also allows the artist to ensure
that every released edition is representative of his original work. The quality of a giclée
rivals traditional silver halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in
museums, art galleries and photographic galleries. Numerous examples of giclée prints
can be found in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of
Modern Art, and the Chelsea Galleries.
| Lithographs - |
Lithographs are made by printing paper or canvas on a printing press. Four separate colors are applied as a pattern of "dots" (microscopic ink drops) on the canvas. Loves' carries canvas transfers in many editions. |
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| Etchings - |
Etching is one of the most ancient forms of printmaking. Etchings are "original prints", an extension of the artist's original work. The artist takes a copper plate and draws into it with a stylus. He then wipes the plate with ink, lodging the ink into the etched lines, places a piece of paper on top and puts it through a press which exerts pressure, transferring the ink from copper to paper, just as the artist has drawn it. |
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| Serigraph - |
Serigraphs are manufactured by creating "screens" that are laid on top of the canvas. The screens have hand-cut holes cut in them that allow ink to flow through them onto print. By cutting holes in the screens in different shapes and sizes, ink can be laid down in different areas of the print. |
"Things you should ask a gallery director when you consider buying art"
Loving a piece of art is the most important reason to purchase it.... however, if you would like to know that the piece is priced appropriately and that your investment will be worth what you paid for it when you leave the gallery, you may want to ask these questions before buying.
Is the artist an important artist?
The artist should have accomplished many things before being considered "important" and someone to watch.
A. Has the artist had any giclées that have sold out?
B. How many galleries show the artists work?
It is important that the artist be shown as widely as possible to gain maximum exposure... the more exposure the more well known, the more well known, the more important the artist becomes.
Ford Smith is in nearly 100 galleries in the U.S. and Canada and soon to be shown in many other countries around the world.
C. How many giclées are in the series?
The typical number of reproductions for many artist is between 295 and 495. The more reproductions of a piece of art the less valuable the reproduction becomes.
Ford Smith allows only 100 full size reproductions for each painting that becomes a Giclée.
D. Does the artist's publishers market the artist using national advertising?
Again, the more exposure, the more important the artist becomes.
Ford Smith's publisher, national and international galleries, all advertise Ford Smith’s work in many national art magazines, Internet, other mediums.
E. Can you find the artist on the Internet by doing a very simple search of their name?
Beware! There are many galleries that carry work that is mass produced by cheap foreign labor, but is passed off as "A real original painting” repainting the same image over and over again does not make it an original, and many of those paintings are copies of other accomplished artists. The easiest way to spot one of these imitation originals is to look the artist up on the Internet. If he or she does not come up when doing a simple search then the chance are that the artist doesn't exist... and if you do find the name, see if you can find your painting within the sites that show their work.
Ford Smith comes up in the first the listings on Google and three out of the first five in a Yahoo search when just his name is used and occupies the entire first page when Ford Smith Fine Art is used as the search phrase.
Why is art expensive?
Actually most contemporary art is a bargain. It's handmade by professionals who generally have advanced degrees and years of expertise. True artists are survivors who are committed to their muse — only one in twenty continues to produce art five years after graduate school.
Lasting value -
The old saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" applies to value in art as well. The true and lasting value of art is in the eye and experience of the viewer.
Although there is an enormous established market for art — which sells works by famous masters like Vincent Van Gogh for millions of dollars — the true and lasting value of art is based on what an artist puts into it and what the viewer takes away from it. We sometimes hang onto faded posters or tattered postcards for years, just because they depict a work of art we value. Art that speaks to you, that touches you, that makes you comfortable or unsettles you — all this art has great value for you, value that is beyond price.
Art market economics -
Prices in the art market are determined by the intersection of two factors: the artist's importance, and the law of supply and demand.
Supply and demand in the art world -
The price of a work of art, if it is considered important, will increase over time because of the law of supply and demand. Historical importance, critical acclaim, and contemporary fashion all drive demand. Over time, the supply of an artist's work inevitably decreases — pieces are ignored, lost, and destroyed. If the artist has been considered important over a period of time, then his or her works will steadily be purchased by museums, and the artist is thus taken out of the art market. One way or another, as the years pass, we will be able to buy fewer and fewer works by any one artist.
Art at a premium -
When artists like Rembrandt, Claude Monet, and Mary Cassatt maintain their reputation within the small community of curators, dealers and historians who determine artistic importance, the price of their work will steadily increase as the supply decreases. If the attention of the expert’s shifts — if an artist is "rediscovered" after years of neglect — then the demand for the work increases suddenly. Combined with a steady decrease in supply, this jump in demand creates dramatic increases in price.
How do artists set their prices?
How do we know if the work we buy today will still be important 50 or 100 years from now? Assigning value to contemporary art may be difficult, but much is revealed through a careful reading of the artist's resume. If his or her art dealer does not provide the artist’s resume, you should be very careful about investing in that artist's work. When you add an artist's work to your collection, you're contributing to that artist's reputation and validating their efforts. By becoming a patron of your favorite artist, you help ensure that the artist will be appreciated for years to come.
Exhibition record -
There are benefits to investing in works by artists who are shown in major galleries all over the world, but also rewards from supporting the work of emerging artists whose careers are gaining momentum. Most serious collectors possess works by both emerging and established artists; pieces by renowned artists offer prestige and lasting value, and works by up-and-coming artists feature fresh new perspectives — and reasonable prices.
Artists generally start out showing their work in small venues and, if very successful, end up in museum retrospectives. It's more prestigious to have work exhibited in one-person shows than group shows, and in commercial galleries rather than public spaces. The exhibition path typically starts with shows at school, café and not-for-profit spaces. The artist moves on to rural galleries and competitions, then major gallery shows. Eventually, an artist might receive invitations to participate in museum theme shows, and ideally (although very rarely) retrospectives in major museums. As their careers progress, artists tend to drop the smaller shows off their resume.
Sales history -
The most important measure of the monetary value of a work of art is the artist's previous sales history. In prints, typically the price increases as the edition is sold (as we might expect, given the rules of supply and demand). The dealer often initially determines prices for the work of emerging artists. Dealers who are more established will start out new artists at higher prices than less well-known dealers.
Once an emerging artist has shown in a few major galleries, their works may go up in price dramatically. Generally, established artists will see a steady rise in their prices over their career. If the economy takes a nosedive, however, their prices may fall. The most important benchmark in an artist's sales history is auction price, but few living artists have their work sold at auction.
Quality -
Some works are just better than others. These can be works that took longer than usual to produce, demonstrate an artist's mastery of his or her medium, or in some way push an idea further along than most of their work. An outstanding piece may have been the cornerstone of a traveling exhibition, or the subject of a critic's review. Also, artists often work in series, and some series may be stronger or more critically acclaimed than others. This means that work produced by the same artist at the same time may be priced differently.
Gallery representation -
There is a noticeable hierarchy in the gallery world. The top galleries are the ones that represent a number of the best and most accomplished artists. The quality of a gallery can also be measured in a number of quantifiable ways, including how often it is reviewed in the mainstream press and arts publications, and its memberships in professional organizations such as the Art Dealers Association of America.
One measure of an artist is the number and quality of galleries he or she is affiliated with. Resumes that show regular exhibitions at reputable galleries indicate a serious artist. Keep in mind, though, that emerging artists typically have just a few galleries on their resumes; once they have more gallery shows to their credit, their work may be harder to come by and their prices will usually rise.
8 Ford Facts
1. Inspiration
When Ford decided to pursue his painting career, he traveled the world for a year to seek inspiration, discovering stunning vistas and “magical” places. As a former professional photographer with the ability to paint photorealism, his creative side prefers to paint his own interpretation of these remembered places. He has been sought after for his photorealistic skill, however, after his years as a photographer, he felt this was too redundant a genre for him to pursue. So Ford never paints from a photograph, just his imagination.
2. Japanese Influence
When Ford was 12 years old, his father was stationed in a small Japanese village with the Air Force. It was here that Ford found an elderly Japanese master painter to be his mentor and officially began his artistic education.
3. BFA in Painting
Ford graduated with a degree in painting from the University of Mississippi where he was noted for his accomplishment in mastering all genres from abstract to photorealism. He was also the college newspaper’s celebrated cartoonist. Not only was Ford a naturally gifted painter, but he was also President of the National Honor Society, voted into Phi Beta Kappa, and attended college on a full academic scholarship.
4. Loving Acrylics
Ford prefers to use acrylics; partly due to the time oils take to dry. He has found that in using this medium he is able to be more spontaneous with his work, thereby fostering his seemingly endless creativity and enabling him to create such a phenomenal body of work.
5. Painting Without a Plan
Ford does not approach the canvas with a specific idea in his mind for his work. He begins each painting with its base coat, plays with water on it, and from there he lets the painting “tell him” what it will evolve into. This trust in the creative process, and in himself, not only exemplifies optimism but ultimately provides a work of art that exudes it.
6. Stress-Free Painting
The optimism and “stress-free” nature of Ford’s paintings have a lot to do with his approach of never belaboring over one piece. If he isn’t sure where one is going, he simply moves to another canvas until he becomes inspired. Often one painting re-inspires another.
7. Music Sets the Mood
Every painting Ford paints was created with music surrounding the process. From classical, rock or jazz, Ford cannot imagine painting without enjoying a good tune. His most common musical inspiration is the Beatles. If he couldn’t paint, Ford probably would have become a musician.
8. Lake Studio Setting
If you wondered why Ford’s paintings have so much reflective water inspiration, it could be that his home studio overlooks a beautiful lake.
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