In ages past if one was interested in having art in their home or place of business, one needed an in-person visit to galleries, dealers or art fairs. The internet changed all that. Now one can buy/sell arty stuff on a wide variety of merchandise (T-shirts, tea towels, and coasters are quite popular), use a broker, a public dealer in art, join the NFT rush, or even get discounts on art with membership from Costco.
Yes, Costco is now partnered with Giant Art, one of several major online art distributors. GA’s web site is offered in both English and French. Giant Art will sell to anyone regardless of Costco membership.
This distributor, as you might guess from its name, sells art prints up to 7 feet x 7 feet! Purchasers must stretch the print onto its stretcher bars and there is a handy YouTube showing one how to best approach this patented process. Prices look generally quite affordable and sending the pieces rolled up saves mucho bucks on shipping charges.
This giant art dealer, like most, offers categories of interest as New Arrivals, Best Sellers (especially for the timid), 7 categorized “styles,” seven color choices (presumably featuring the predominant hue), and three styles: square, oblong, rectangular vertical. No mention is freely given as to what the artists are getting beyond a sales outlet.
As an independent artist, I have two opposing responses on this development of online art distributors. First, YAY! People are being encouraged to bring art into their personal realms. Second, IXNAY! Where is the artist in all this? Where is the “when you buy a piece of art, you buy a piece of the artist”? Is art a product, a potential relationship or an intention?
The artist—dealer—patron association of the 19th and 20th centuries is fading, being transformed. The primary association still exists, of course, yet maybe not for the general public. The internet has established the global art ecosystem. The hard-working gallerist can almost conduct 100% of her business remotely. Still, who will promote the dedicated artists? Where are the champions? We can only speculate on where this leads art history; perhaps the market will decide after all.
Comments welcome.
Yes, Costco is now partnered with Giant Art, one of several major online art distributors. GA’s web site is offered in both English and French. Giant Art will sell to anyone regardless of Costco membership.
This distributor, as you might guess from its name, sells art prints up to 7 feet x 7 feet! Purchasers must stretch the print onto its stretcher bars and there is a handy YouTube showing one how to best approach this patented process. Prices look generally quite affordable and sending the pieces rolled up saves mucho bucks on shipping charges.
This giant art dealer, like most, offers categories of interest as New Arrivals, Best Sellers (especially for the timid), 7 categorized “styles,” seven color choices (presumably featuring the predominant hue), and three styles: square, oblong, rectangular vertical. No mention is freely given as to what the artists are getting beyond a sales outlet.
As an independent artist, I have two opposing responses on this development of online art distributors. First, YAY! People are being encouraged to bring art into their personal realms. Second, IXNAY! Where is the artist in all this? Where is the “when you buy a piece of art, you buy a piece of the artist”? Is art a product, a potential relationship or an intention?
The artist—dealer—patron association of the 19th and 20th centuries is fading, being transformed. The primary association still exists, of course, yet maybe not for the general public. The internet has established the global art ecosystem. The hard-working gallerist can almost conduct 100% of her business remotely. Still, who will promote the dedicated artists? Where are the champions? We can only speculate on where this leads art history; perhaps the market will decide after all.
Comments welcome.