I just recieved a notice from Alan Cristea Gallery about the newly launched Julian Opie Online Shop and I'm torn. Many of the Boston Print Collectors are fans and I've certainly envied the nifty postcards and invitations, designed by Opie and sent to those who collect his work. But putting that same invitation (for a long past event that you weren't invited to anyway) on sale to the public, seems a bit odd. That said, there are many fun items on the site like refrigerator magnets and a flip book, that for only about $15, lets you experience the movement inherent in his installation pieces.
It will be interesting to see the reaction, as merchandising by artists is a slippery slope and sometimes negatively influences critics perception of the "real" art (though Murakami, seems to have made it work financially, if not always critically).
Posts
As a fan of Opie, I am not sure what I think yet. Invitations to openings, posters, and other ephemera are certainly collectable and can be obtained through shops like Printed Matter in NY or Ars Libri in Boston. Maybe I am becoming too much of a Bostonian, but the direct marketing by an artist seems somehow distasteful compared to a shop not affiliated with the artist.
ReplyDelete