I was wondering about the practicality of displaying/selling them in one of our Arts and Crafts shows.
Were I to do that, and don't want to frame prints...that leaves canvas or metal...which?
Ah, that... that's easy. I can tell you that. Even better, for a small fee, I can also tell you which stock is going to triple in the next six months. Deal?
Now seriously, if I could tell you that, i wouldn't, as I would be busy making millions knowing what sells. Just like stock brokers would.
All I can tell you instead is my experience so far and what conclusions can be drawn from it. The only definitive conclusion to be drawn is that there are no definitive conclusions.
I offer matted, open-edition paper prints, and limited-edition canvas, framed canvas, brushed and high-gloss aluminum, and acrylic. Some shows I would end up selling only a handful of matted prints (the cheapest), some only the most expensive one (large framed canvas). The last show I sold four large metals and one large framed canvas and none of the cheaper stuff. Sometimes you can blame the economy, location, weather, whatnot, for selling nothing at a show, and yet...the guy next to you would make a killing. You start doubting your photographic skill after that, and yet...the next show you make a killing with exactly the same offering.
I like canvas. Some art fairs, however, spurn it officially. I just had to pass on three shows in the area for that. It is practical and light to transport and hang, it is non-reflective and looks good in all lighting environments (both dark and bright). It may be displayed in homes without framing in many decor environments, and it also looks good framed. You'd think that after years of seeing canvas prints and reproductions in places like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Ikea, etc., the public is not only familiar with, but tired of it. And yet, you'd be surprised how surprised are some visitors that it is a photograph printed on canvas in my booth.
Framed or unframed? That is the question.
This is my bestseller (Rainy Parisian Summer, for older members who got tired of me posting it on LuLa). It sells well framed, because the frame (and canvas) apparently enhances the similarity with an impressionistic painting (it is, actually, a straight-out-of-camera jpeg). At the last show, I had a chance to test it. I just sold it framed and replaced it on the wall with a spare, unframed one... the client who bought the framed one stopped by later on and I asked if they would have bought the unframed one. The answer was a categorical no. The moral of the story? You can't really draw a general conclusion that frames sell better than unframed. But I can make a conclusion that
this image, with
that subject matter, works the best when printed on canvas and framed.
Metals are glorious, both brushed and high-gloss, when paired with a proper subject matter. They are also practical to transport and hang, though much more expensive (more or less equivalent to a framed canvas). Brushed aluminum, however, requires good lighting in the booth, as it becomes dark and dull in absence of it. High-gloss has a reflectivity problem. However, for most public, it is a new and surprising medium and sells well.
There you go. Go figure
