An Art Experience

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Giclee, (pronounced “zhee-clay”) is French for “to spray” and, in the art industry, this means a great way for transfer art to paper or canvas. This method is so superior to standard ‘re-print and paste on canvas’ that museums, fine art galleries and artists were offered paper limited editions at $1,000-$2,000 per giclée (even more for giclée on canvas). The good news is out; ArtXP is the first to bring professionals and aficionados alike a chance at the same great quality, at budget price. What makes Giclee so fantastic is in the nitty-gritty of a few steps that produce a transfer far greater than lithographs and prints, at a fraction of the cost.

Here is our process:

Step one: Scanning

Before any printing takes place, the original art must be converted to a digital form. The latest in scanning and photographic technology allows technicians to put what they see on canvas on their computer screen with utmost quality.

Step two: Editing

Once the technician has the digital image, intricate software is used to adjust the color to match the original. Often working directly with the artist, an image can be digitally altered to the exact tailored specifications intended.

Step three: Giclee print

The computer sends the adjusted file to the Giclee printer. Hundreds of inkjets are spraying millions of droplets per second directly onto canvas; the same type artists use for their original work. The average image has been doused with 20 billion droplets of ink resulting in no visible dot pattern. Also, the inks used are lightfast with a 70 year guarantee to not fade in normal light conditions.
For 10 years, ArtXP has been collecting images from emerging artists from all over the US and Canada, paying a royalty to the artist for every giclée sold. To reach out to those that want this quality, ArtXP is making giclee printed art on canvas available to the internet shopper at affordable prices though the ArtXP website.

 Black and white photography and color photography on canvas has been available since the giclee printing movement began back in the 90’s. (Wow, “back in the 90’s” sounding like a long time ago is a little weird.) Waaay back then, photography on canvas, especially nature photography on canvas was viewed as an oddity as photographers, even the pros, were shooting with film.   Images taken with film just seemed to belong on paper and behind glass. However, photographers and viewers alike could not help but to be in awe of seeing photography without the glass and its accompanying reflection of lights in the background. In addition, it was new and wonderful to see images at 36, 48 even 60″ wide with the crystal clarity and lifelike colors made possible by the giclee process.   As the world of professional and artistic photographers embraced digital, so did the world embrace the new art form of color and black and white photography on canvas and in large sizes. It is a truly remarkable medium and one of the many positive consequences of digital technological advances seen in the past decade. “I’m astounded by the faithful rich color and clarity of my images reproduced with the latest innovative techniques on canvas by ArtXP.”  says Adam Jones a 30 year veteran of professional photography who has shot for National Geographic,   If only advances in energy technology could come so fast and be so fun…

I recently had a really entertaining conversation with a interior designer in Boston. It’s so funny how they struggle to say Louisville - almost makes you forget we’re in the same country. I struggled myself to say Boston and not use three syllables. The designer said that Louisville is becoming quite a haven for emerging artists, kind of like Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve always known that there are many great artists right here in Louisville. It just never dawned on me that other people in the civilized art society (I hear Boston is civilized now) knew it, too. Big confession - I used to not tell art consultants and designers (especially if they were in L.A) that we were based in Louisville (unless they asked). I felt they would somehow think we couldn’t play in the big leagues as art publishers without being in Atlanta or New York or San Francisco. I stand accepted. Don’t get me wrong, I love the town. Arts-wise and restaurant-wise its like a little Chicago sans the wind chill, and yet intimate like a giant Owensboro (Kentucky, population 55,000 and birthplace of moi and my friend Johnny Depp, (He was great in The Aviator and Titanic). I digress. “A diverse art scene…” is one reason that MSNBC recently touted Louisville as one of the Top Ten underrated U.S. cities. Actually, where an artist lives and creates is completely irrelevant, (proven by the fact that so many of the masters were from France), but it is so wonderful that so many great artists are living and creating right in my own backyard.