Posted by John Fiorillo on July 09, 2001 at 01:03:11:
In Reply to: A Compromise Approach... posted by Marc Kahn on July 08, 2001 at 21:13:02:
Marc,
Your friend's approach is, of course, intriguing, but I doubt it will have widespread appeal. For one thing, why spend the extra money on the framing of color photocopies?
I also wonder about the effect of "debased" copies (photocopies) of works of art on the collector who sees them all the time. I, for one, tire of the ubiquitous presence of some of the more famous images from ukiyo-e. How many times can one see Hokusai's great wave off Kanagawa on coffee mugs and t-shirts, not to mention the innumerable reproductions in books, and not eventually tire a bit of the image? Even the thrilling impact of seeing that image the first few times, its glorious power achieved with a brilliant graphical shorthand, can barely withstand the constant onslaught of the debased images of the print. All the more reason, in my view, for collectors to store their prints safely and bring them out of their archival portfolios when they really want to see them - whether that is every day, once a week, or once a year.
The debate over storage and display of fragile works of art will go on forever. Are these prints merely decorative objects to be used as the owner sees fit, or are they works of art that deserve special treatment to preserve them for current and future generations to study and enjoy? Many private collectors in the West have a different view from traditional Japanese collectors. Most western collectors seem to find the acquisition of prints without framing and displaying them almost absurd, despite the damage that is done. It is difficult to change their minds, but I hope my new web page will at least serve as a warning about the speed with which traditional prints do fade.
John