Reproduction Print Sales Impact Artists in a Big Way

The commercialization of the art business by big business is nowhere more evident than in the marketing of reproduction prints, particularly giclees (computer prints of digital files) by entities billing themselves as fine art publishing companies. These reproductions are typically advertised as signed limited edition "fine art" prints and can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The great majority, however, are nothing more than computer printouts of scans or photographs of paintings, watercolors, or works of art in other mediums (as opposed to digital works of art created by digital artists entirely or in part on computers which ARE considered to be originals). Repro print artists usually have nothing to do with producing these editions, their only participation being signing their names which takes maybe thirty seconds or so per print at most. And that's supposed to be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars? No way. But the people hawking these reproductions sure want you to think so and sure manage to talk plenty of people believing it.