A GICLEE? A PAINTING? INSIDE INFO FOR BUYERS

As both an okay art buyer and art seller, I have concerns about the truly misleading term"Giclee Painting" used in art listings on okay.To help avoid misunderstandings, I offer the followinginformation for your consideration.
Amachine-made giclee isa sprayed-ink reproduction, hopefully of archival ink and on anarchival surface, generally some form of paper, or canvas. A giclee can be made of a photo, or of art. What a machine printed giclee never is, is a "painting".Let's say, a personcreates an image with art materials (which includes the sprayed on art that is airbrushing) or a camera orby geputer, and a reproduction or print of that creation is made. The reproduction itself is not 'a watercolor' or 'a painting' etc. However, an artist can apply moreembellishment to a finished giclee or any reproductionthey have made, thereby creating an "enhanced" giclee or print. That is closest to being an original painting a machine-made giclee is ever going to get, unless it is gepletely covered with new paint applications, obliterating the giclee underneath. In which case, why call it a giclee at all, if an artist has made it into an new and original work? The only possible problem with a painting being made on top of a giclee is the archivalor longevity aspect of the art which might be negatively affected by having giclee inks underneath other forms of pigment. But, no one can say. The giclee process does not have a long enough history to have that answer.
I would hope for art sellers to be very specific about what the art is thatthey are selling.And buyers, of course,are wiseto carefully read the text of any listing for artthey are considering buying, and not base a purchaseonly upon what the title says.It is best not tomake assumptions. "Art " is a general and validterm when usedas part of alisting title, but that word does not specify'original' or 'giclee' or other repro method. It means a piece of art is being offered. Buyers need the additional information which should be provided in the item description. If a title or descriptionsays "original reproduction" or "original giclee".........something is definitelyin need of clarification. It does not make any more sense than finding a majorart dealer from Hong Kong selling in the 'self-representing Artist' category. Buyers, be wary!
I personally love a high quality giclee. If very well done they are quite superior as far as reproductions go, certainly more long-lived than offset printing. I sell original art and I sell giclee reproductions made by a giclee specialist on a huge and very expensive printer -- what is sometimes called an "iris" printer, though that is not the manufacturer of this particular machine.It does giclees in a far greater dpi than I am capable of at home, and I like the beautiful results. Sometimes I enhance the giclees on canvas tomake them more unique.I do not mean to imply that no one can make a good 'sprayed ink' printed reproduction at home with an appropriateinkjet printer, because it is possible, especially if the person printing them knows how to use Photo Shop. My printer is terrible (though new -- quite a dissapointment!) and I don't have or know how to usePhoto Shop.
I am an art buyer, too. Ibuy originals, including Art Cards (ACEO) and OSWOA (sleevable like art cards but a bit larger, 4x6 inches in size) and I buy reproductions, most of the ones I buyare giclee/ink spray reproductions made 'at home' by the artists. Thereare only twoprerequisites for me as an artbuyer-- That I love the art, and that it is not being misrepresented in any way. Once I bought a drawing which I could clearly see was on a piece of old yellowedtyping paper. And the seller made no pretense about that. I wanted it because it was one of the loveliestdrawings of a German Sheperd dog I had ever seen. Humble art, butit touched my heart. Sometimes, there is art that stirs the soul so much that you just need to have it, so that you can live with it, or share it with someone.Emotion is what art is all about, after all is said and done.
Lee Mitchelson The Artful Gifter