Philagrafika Blog

The Digital Debate
Post by Cindi Ettinger of C.R. Ettinger Studios

As I peruse the Art Fairs, and art magazines, I see more and more "digital"
art available through art organizations. Often they are nothing more than
scanned images or reproductions. They're misrepresented and called original
prints and are often used for fundraisers as well as being sold as fine art
prints. They are signed and numbered.

There are many digital prints out there that are created in the computer
with great skill by the artist. Yet, there is no differentiation between
those "works of art" and a copy such as a scanned drawing or painting. It is
high time for a discussion to eliminate this confusion. People need to be
aware that there is a difference and they should know what it is that
they're buying. It is particularly confusing when these "copies" are
available through museums and advertised in art magazines such as Art On
Paper as "original prints." Historically, with every advent of new
technology, which usually involves a photo process, these issues have to be
readdressed. So now with the digital age in full swing it's time to clear up
this confusion.

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Interested in the digital debate?

Read Martha Schwendener's article "Even in the Digital Age, a Strong Case for Printmaking" from February 12, 2007.

7/7/08 Update, just found another printmaker positing similar questions on the blog post: Are We Witnessing the End of Fine Art Printmaking?