Are We Witnessing the End of Fine-Art Printmaking?

Wagging Tail, Severed HeadIs unscrupulous competition killing fine-art printmaking? Or has it killed it already, the movement we’re seeing today being just the tail wagging after the head has been severed? Either way, we are seeing the disappearance of the fine-art print as we know it. It’s being accosted on all sides by an insidious digital-copy business which has illicitly co-opted the language of printmaking and made it its own.The digital revolution has given rise to two notable novelties which affect printmaking. Let’s start with the good news. Computers, clever image-creation/modification software and high-quality inkjet printers have enabled artists to create original digital images and print them with astonishing quality on a variety of substrates. These “digital prints,” did not enter into the generally-accepted definition of original fine-art prints elaborated by the French National Committee on Engraving in 1964, because they didn’t exist at the time, but today they have a legitimate claim to being considered fine-art prints.That 1964 definition stipulated:Proofs either in black and white or in color, drawn from one of several plates, conceived and executed entirely by hand by the same artist, regardless of the technique employed, with the exclusion of any and all mechanical or photomechanical processes, shall be considered original engravings, prints or lithographs. Only prints meeting with such qualifications are entitled to be designated Original Prints.The down side of the digital phenomenon is that this very same technology is being used by unscrupulous dealers to create high-resolution reproductions of existing artwork and commercialize them as “fine-art prints.” Some of these operators are knowingly violating the canons of the centuries-old fine-art-print tradition. Others are simply ignorant. It’s not easy to tell which is which. Whatever the case, there is no excuse either for ignoring the tradition or for knowingly violating it.Neither Moralizing Nor NostalgiaThis insistence upon respect for printmaking traditions is neither vapid moralizing nor luddite nostalgia. Over more than 500 years of proud history the term “fine-art print” has acquired the status of a trademark for artist-made serial-original works of art. What those works of art include may be up for discussion, but what they certainly do not include are art reproductions, regardless of the degree of sophistication of the copying methods employed.What’s at stake here are the livelihoods of thousands of contemporary fine-art printmakers whose valuable, exclusive handmade original prints-whether created with etching tools or computers-are being unfairly undercut by dealers who, in a classical example of dishonest, disloyal competition, refer to their inkjet copies as “giclee prints” or even more brazenly, “limited-edition giclee prints.” As if the techniques and terminology of fine-art printmaking were not arcane enough already to the often-ingenuous art-buying public, along come digital sharp operators to confuse them even more with the deliberate usurpation of printmaking’s traditional vocabulary. They would have us believe this is simply commerce. It is, I submit, simple larceny.This is not to say that there is not a legitimate niche in the market for inkjet or other types of art reproductions. No one in her right mind would sustain that. It’s just that those reproductions are not fine-art prints, any more than an offset art poster is. While it’s undoubtedly printed, it’s hardly a “print.” To affirm otherwise in order to commercialize digital reproductions at fine-art prices is fraudulent and should be treated as such in the marketplace, the media and the courts of law.The Question of Big-Bucks Vested InterestsThe issue is further complicated by the multi-billion dollar financial interests in play. All the giant inkjet printer companies have discovered the potential of the giclee market and are fomenting it with a vengeance. They make billions selling not only the large-format inkjet printers used in making art reproductions, but also the inks and papers. They manage to remain largely above the fray, however, as their communications usually to refer to their printers’ utility in terms of “graphic art” and “photographic” applications.I want to share with you an anecdote which will give you an idea of the kind of clout the fine-art printmaking community is up against. Two summers ago a giant computer company (like a quarter of a million employees worldwide) flew some 60 American art-and-design-world opinion leaders to a charming European capital to stay in a five-star hotel and preview their new-model large-format inkjet printers. The “preview” consisted of an intensive three-day course at the factory including the most intimate technical details of the new printers, and hands-on practice sessions. The daytime workshops were accompanied by a series of sumptuous meals and excursions in the evenings. The visit to the factory was followed up by an all-expense-paid weekend at the Arles Photography Festival in France.This astute manufacturer spared no expense to convert these imaging opinion leaders to its own new state-of-the-art large-format inkjet printers (and don’t forget the inks and papers) for use in all sorts of design, industrial and art applications. What, in fact, is the principal use to which these printers are put, in terms of volume use? You guessed it, fine-art reproductions. Though in the vast majority they are not sold as “reproductions” or “posters” but as “fine-art prints.”A Simple Experiment Confirms the TrendHow serious is it? I recently did a simple experiment to gauge the extent of this printmaking death-watch-beetle phenomenon, an experiment which you can repeat yourself if you’re inclined. On Saturday, July 5, 2008 I did a Google search for the term “fine-art prints.” I had to wade through 15 websites offering “fine art prints and posters” and “giclee prints” before encountering on page two of the search a site (ObsessionArt.com) dedicated to signed limited-edition photographs, but I had to trudge on to the 42nd entry on page five to find a hand-pulled fine-art print (Maria Arango’s original woodcuts). After Maria’s work I had to slog through four more pages of reproductions described as “prints” before finding another genuine printmaker, Laszlo Bagi, a screen-print artist. He appeared at the bottom of page nine of the Google search results for “fine art prints,” 97th on the list. I had to continue on to page 11 to find the next sellers of authentic fine-art prints, Santa Fe Editions.In all, my Google search turned up just two purveyors of genuine fine-art prints out of the first 100+ results. That’s less than 2%. The other 98+% are misrepresenting the lithographic, offset and inkjet reproductions they’re selling as “fine art prints.” Considering this preponderance of fraudulent competition, it’s no wonder print buyers and potential print buyers are confused. Given this state of affairs, how is an honest printmaker supposed to make a living?What to Do?How might the worldwide fine-art printmaking community combat this onslaught? Obviously it must begin by recognizing the reality of the situation and opening a debate on the subject. In the meantime, it occurs to me that they could start with a worldwide program to educate both actual and potential art buyers-as to what is a genuine fine-art print. They might also put some pressure on the search motors, who are, in all likelihood, unknowing collaborators in the online print-fraud operations. Why do Google, Yahoo, and the other search motors index art posters and giclee reproductions under the search term “fine art prints?” It would seem to be quite a simple matter for them to oblige sellers to present honest descriptions of their wares, under penalty of being banned.There also seems to be obvious work to be done on the legal front, in the courts and legislatures. Some places, such as California and New York, have legislation to regulate and protect both printmakers and print buyers. Nor would some political initiatives seem out of order. Why don’t more countries and U.S. states have legislation in place to protect printmakers and print buyers? What can printmakers do to promote the enactment of that legislation? What other initiatives might professional printmakers undertake to recuperate their legitimate rights in these matters?I don’t have the answers to all these questions, but I think it’s legitimate and necessary to raise them.

Wellness Coordinators: Are You Addressing the Positive Side of Health? (Start Today)

The focus of health and wellness professionals today is on disease and problems – in other words, what’s wrong (negative health). Wouldn’t you rather be focusing instead on positive health, or in other words, what’s right?Health TodayHealth today has a disease focus – a focus on risk reduction, avoidance, prevention and treatment of disease, infirmity and disability. This focus stems, no doubt, from medicine and its focus on pathogenesis, which is the study of the origin of disease. In a pathogenic model – health is measured by the incidence of disease or health related problems. Success in the pathogenic model is measured by the avoidance or elimination of problems, diseases and premature death.Health is often depicted as being a continuum, with one end being premature death and the other end being wellness. The mid-point of the continuum is often described as being a neutral point where no discernible illness or wellness can be detected. If success in the pathogenic model is the avoidance or elimination of problems or disease, then success in this case this does not create a state of wellness, but instead a point there is no discernible illness or wellness. The betterment of health or the movement towards wellness would then require that deliberate, specific concrete actions to be taken.The necessity of taking deliberate, concrete action to achieve optimal health, positive health or high level wellness would be consistent with what researchers have found in other areas. Researchers have shown that eliminating negatives alone does not, in and of itself, create positive conditions. Some examples that demonstrate what I am saying would include:• Herzberg who showed that eliminating dissatisfaction does not create satisfaction• Compton who showed that eliminating depression does not create joy• Seligman who showed that mental health was not the mere absence of mental illness• Becker and colleagues who showed that ending disease does not create positive healthInstead of aiming for a return to neutral or the status quo, a focus on positive health moves our focus towards outcomes that exceed our expectations, in other words, our idealized outcomes.Positive HealthPositive health has its roots in the salutogenesis model. Salutogenesis provides a focus and methodology to discover and develop the causes or origins of positive health. Salutogenesis complements pathogenesis by working to optimize health and well-being through continuous and never-ending improvement. Salutogenesis is about how to add positive actions, opportunities, conditions and outcomes to move us beyond the neutral point to higher, positive levels.Positive health is a deliberate consciouly created dynamic state. Positive health has also beed described as well-being, thriving or flourishing.To achieve and continually improve positive health, a supportive, nurturing and encouraging environment must be consciously and thoughtfully developed and continuously improved. This supportive and nurturing environment is a necessary ingredient in the behavior change process.Positive states are created through deliberate, conscious effort and action. To create positive states, specific efforts must be taken that go just beyond the elimination of health risks and problems. These specific efforts need to be supported through the use of following 9 Es and 1 C:
Engagement
Education
Empowerment
Effectiveness
Enablement
Evaluation
Emotions
Energy
Expectations
Comprehensive
Use these 9 Es and 1 C in your worksite wellness program to help your employees achieve positive health.If you are interested in reading more, consider these references:Antonovsky, A. (1979) Health, stress and coping. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Becker, C. M., Dolbier, C.L., Durham, T., Glascoff, M. A., & Adams, T.B. Development and preliminary evaluation of the validity and reliability of a positive health scale. (2008). American Journal of Health Education, 39(1), 34-41.Becker, C. M., Moore, J., Whetstone, L., Glascoff, M., Chaney, E., Felts, M., & Anderson, L., (2009). Validity Evidence for the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS). American Journal of Health Behavior, 33(4), 455-465.Becker, C., Glascoff, M., & Felts, W. (2010) Salutogenesis 30 years later: Where do we go from here? International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 13, 25-32.Compton, W. C. (2005). Introduction to positive psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Dunn H. L. (1961). High-level wellness: A collection of twenty-nine short talks on different aspects of the theme “High-level wellness for man and society.” Arlington, VA: R.W. Beatty Co.Herzberg F. (2003). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review, 81(1), 86-96. (Original work published 1968).Seligman, M. E. P. (2008). Positive health. Applied Psychology, 57(s1), 3-18.

Cheap Car Insurance Is Easy To Get Online

Car insurance is an added expense over and above the considerable expense of owning and maintaining a car, particularly when you consider all the other types of insurance that are necessary in today’s world, so it is only natural to want to get cheap car insurance without compromising on coverage. Luckily, cheap car insurance is well within your reach, provided you know how to get it.The Internet is the best place to start when shopping for cheap car insurance. Insurance companies are now geared to provide you with a quote online but you will still need to shop around and compare quotes, and keying in your details separately for each insurance company you want a quote from can be a hassle. The answer is to use an insurance company that allows you to get multiple quotes online. You enter your details online, and the insurance company will draw up individual quotes for a number of insurance providers (sometimes as many as eight) and send them to you all in one go. How cool is that? You will even save on your phone bill because you won’t need to use the phone to get your quotes.There are a number of other things you can do to reduce your car insurance besides getting cheap car insurance quotes online. You can increase your excess which will decrease your premiums on a monthly basis but substantially increase the amount you will have to pay out of your pocket when you claim. Accidents happen when you least expect them so you need to be sure you can afford to pay such a high excess if you go this route. All new cars now have to be insured before they leave the showroom floor these days but you can limit the amount of insurance you will have to pay by purchasing a cheap or moderately priced car. To insurance companies, cheaper cars mean cheaper repairs which means they will have to fork out less. The result is a lower premium for the consumer who buys a cheaper car.Ensure that your car is parked in a secured area like a garage or lockable car port at night, and consider fitting additional security measures such as a gear-lock, as this can help you get a cheaper package. Speaking of packages, it is often cheaper to have a combined coverage package, where you insure your car, home and possessions with one insurance company than several separate premiums with different companies. Avoid driving a high-risk vehicle or expensive car if you can. High-risk vehicles are the makes and models of cars that insurance companies consider to be vulnerable to theft and hi-jacking, and your premium will be raised accordingly. Also, expensive cars tend to be expensive to repair, so you can expect your insurance premium to be higher than if you had a cheaper car.As you can see, there are a number of ways to get cheaper car insurance, but cheaper is not always better because it can mean you aren’t adequately covered. You need to be clear on what your insurance status is and what adequate coverage costs, and then decide how far over and above a reasonable insurance premium you want to go with extras.Car insurance is an added expense over and above the considerable expense of owning and maintaining a car, particularly when you consider all the other types of insurance that are necessary in today’s world, so it is only natural to want to get cheap car insurance without compromising on coverage. Luckily, cheap car insurance is well within your reach, provided you know how to get it.The Internet is the best place to start when shopping for cheap car insurance. Insurance companies are now geared to provide you with a quote online but you will still need to shop around and compare quotes, and keying in your details separately for each insurance company you want a quote from can be a hassle. The answer is to use an insurance company that allows you to get multiple quotes online. You enter your details online, and the insurance company will draw up individual quotes for a number of insurance providers (sometimes as many as 8) and send them to you all in one go. How cool is that? You will even save on your phone bill because you won’t need to use the phone to get your quotes.There are a number of other things you can do to reduce your car insurance besides getting cheap car insurance quotes online. You can increase your excess which will decrease your premiums on a monthly basis but substantially increase the amount you will have to pay out of your pocket when you claim. Accidents happen when you least expect them so you need to be sure you can afford to pay such a high excess if you go this route. All new cars now have to be insured before they leave the showroom floor these days but you can limit the amount of insurance you will have to pay by purchasing a cheap or moderately priced car. To insurance companies, cheaper cars mean cheaper repairs which means they will have to fork out less. The result is a lower premium for the consumer who buys a cheaper car.Ensure that your car is parked in a secured area like a garage or lockable car port at night, and consider fitting additional security measures such as a gear-lock, as this can help you get a cheaper package. Speaking of packages, it is often cheaper to have a combined coverage package, where you insure your car, home and possessions with one insurance company than several separate premiums with different companies. Avoid driving a high-risk vehicle or expensive car if you can. High-risk vehicles are the makes and models of cars that insurance companies consider to be vulnerable to theft and hi-jacking, and your premium will be raised accordingly. Also, expensive cars tend to be expensive to repair, so you can expect your insurance premium to be higher than if you had a cheaper car.As you can see, there are a number of ways to get cheaper car insurance, but cheaper is not always better because it can mean you aren’t adequately covered. You need to be clear on what your insurance status is and what adequate coverage costs, and then decide how far over and above a reasonable insurance premium you want to go with extras.