Image credit: “Gold Thioglucose” by Damien Hirst – Copyright Damien Hirst, Image courtesy Other Criteria
The Zoo Art Fair held in October each year, aims to introduce emerging contemporary artists to collectors, curators, critics, dealers, artists and art enthusiasts. This year, from a group of Victorian industrial warehouses in London’s East End, fifty contemporary arts organizations and practitioners showcased the next generation of art professionals through a series of exhibitions, solo shows and stand presentations.
The new editions area
Most notably, this year Zoo Art Fair launched a new area dedicated to artists’ limited editions and multiples. The Editions section featured work from a select group of institutions and publishers ranging from the ICA and the Whitechapel Gallery, to Damien Hirst’s own publishing company, Other Criteria. Many of the works on show were from established British contemporary artists, and the prices ranged from £10 to £4,000, with an average of £200.
A collector surveys some of the editions on offer
Limited edition prints and multiples not only offer young collectors an opportunity to affordably obtain artwork from major contemporary artists, but also give established collectors and galleries an opportunity to diversify their collection.
Image credit: “What Is History?” by Kenny Hunter – Image courtesy The Multiple Store
Traditionally, limited edition prints are produced to accompany major art exhibitions, however, prints and multiples are becoming increasingly popular in their own right, possibly as a result of the economic downturn, and are now being produced in volume by various art galleries and publishers. Most are available to view and buy online.
If you are thinking of starting a contemporary art collection but don’t want to spend a fortune, check out some of these publishers: Gagosian Gallery, White Cube Gallery, Other Criteria and The Multiple Store (for 3D multiples).
Feature by Keinton Butler, Arts & Design Contributor for Pippa Jameson Interiors