Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/12/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Selling photography question
From: miss deuteronomy <bwdaly@bigfatpipe.net>
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 01:58:36 -0600

tristantom:

> Some people saw one of my images at a corporate gallery and want prints 
> for
> their homes. This would be my first time selling an image. Question: 
> do I
> sign the print? do I write anything on the back of it? The people just 
> want
> to buy a print of my image, not framed.

i usually sign and date IN PENCIL on the back.  i don't like to sign on 
the front, and have gotten into arguments with people who want me to.  i 
have no idea why i insist on being so difficult.  i guess i'm trying to 
do some sort of reductionist thing with 
nothing-but-the-image-blah-blah-blah.  of course, one could argue that 
the signature is part of the image.  a signed avedon, for instance, is 
worth more than a non-signed avedon.  many photographers also write 
on/in their pictures, adding commentary, context, concepts, 
connotations, contrarians, constipation, corellative adjectives, 
conspiracy theorists, constantinople (or istanbul), and/or confusion.

but, of course, it's up to you.  if you do want to sign on the front, 
the general rule is, i think, signature in the lower right-hand border 
and title/series number in the lower left.  if you don't have borders, 
then i guess you could sign the matte.  hell, you can spray-paint a big 
ole dot in the middle and call that your signature--it might work!

it will look more "artsy" if you sign it.  your customers might like 
that.  but don't let your customers bully you.  what is it max von 
sydow's character says to the rock star searching for a painting to go 
over his couch in _hannah and her sisters_?  "i don't sell my art by the 
foot" or something like that.

- --darb

- --
brad daly	
bwdaly@bigfatpipe.net	
http://www.bigfatpipe.net/~bwdaly

"War, what is it good for?  It's good for business."
	--Billy Bragg

"I helped in the rape of a dozen Central American republics for the 
benefit of Wall Street."
	--General Smedley Butler, USMC (ret.), 1931

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