YES (You Complete the Picture) by Trey Speegle

When people tell me "no," it makes me more yes. This has always been so, just ask my parents, who will say absolutely yes, that's true, perhaps while shaking their heads at the memory of how uniquely strong-headed I was. I might've been a handful then (still am!) but, the incredible gratification that I feel because this whole thing is working has me more certain than ever that sticking with yes, even if everyone else might be saying no, is the way to go.

All this YESness has me particularly excited about today's edition, our third from talented, NY-based Texan Trey Speegle. His YES (You Complete the Picture) is a storied one, carved out against Paris, its Arc de Triomphe and shops brightly rendered in a splendid incarnation of his paint-by-numbers obsession. Offering resolute reassurance, YES (You Complete the Picture) would make a fine companion to the reliable comfort that Trey's early-days (and entirely sold out!) OK edition has provided to hundreds of our collectors.

I said YES—and also no and a few other things—just this past Saturday at the incredible and inspiring Women Entrepreneurs Festival, where there were rooms full of yes and the electric energy that goes along with it. Brimming over with entrepreneurs of all stripes as it was, its attendees were all too familiar with hearing no all the time, so my comment was met with fervent nods of agreement and sighing shoulders of relief.

Trey's no slouch when it comes to sharing the word of YES either. He does so in word and deed, philanthropically and artistically. He's deeply involved with The Trevor Project, an organization whose mission is to reassure gay youth that YES, It Gets Better, which is that much more impressive when you consider how busy his career keeps him. You can see the fruits of his artistic labors live and in person here in NYC, when his solo show—It's Not About You—opens at Benrimon Contemporary this very NEXT Thursday.

YES. I say it often, to myself and aloud. Mantras and memories do their part, but a visual cue surely can't hurt. So if you were to ask whether I'll be framing up a YES of my very own, the answer would be: yes yes a thousand times YES.

Praia Piquinia 06/08/09 14h01 by Christian Chaize

Jen first introduced you all to Christian Chaize's Praia Piquinia series almost exactly two years ago. Traditionally this seems to be the dreariest week of winter on the East Coast—the ice/sleet/rain combination we're steeping in today is no exception. But we're keeping our eyes set on sunnier horizons, specifically, the ones that Christian has documented obsessively—and we're not alone.

Since that fateful day in 2009, Christian's fixation has spread to hundreds of collectors, writers, critics and taste-makers. Even before we officially set Praia Piquinia out into the world, avid readers of Domino magazine (RIP) were scouring our site for the prints. We've released two more photographs from the series and more images—larger prints in smaller, spendier editions—are available through Jen Bekman Gallery. (Email collector@20x200.com for more information.) One of those massive (88"x68") prints was featured in the December/January issue of Elle Decor, occupying a place of pride in a collector's home. Our smaller 20x200 editions are not strangers to the limelight either—they've recently been featured in print, online—on pages 44–45 in Rue Magazine—and on air, when Lonny Mag editor Michelle Adams presented a print on the The Nate Berkus Show.

As the accolades and adoration for Christian's work keep coming, supplies, correspondingly, continue to quickly dwindle. Praia Piquinia 02/08/07 15h16 and Praia Piquinia 04/08/07 16h04 are both sold out. There are just twelve 14"x11" of Praia Piquinia 27/08/09 15h17 and only 1 24"x20" (at the time of this writing) and we sent 47 of those prints out to collectors last week alone. So, consider this respite from the winter doldrums both a trip down memory lane and a little forewarning, as Jen noted at the end of this newsletter: "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.*"

From February 5, 2009:

A my-breath-turns-to-icicles-as-I-speak hello to you on this seasonally frigid Thursday...

Praia Piquinia 02/08/07 15h16 and Praia Piquinia 04/08/07 16h04 provide the perfect backdrop for your sun and sand fantasies. It's easy to see why Christian Chaize is, as he calls it himself, "slightly obsessed" with this idyllic beach in Portugal...

The visual appeal of these images should be inarguable to all but the crankiest of sun-and-surf haters (we all know a few). The landscape is inherently photogenic, and the umbrellas and sunbathers are most fetchingly arrayed across it...

[But] what makes today's introduction extra special is its pairing with Praia Piquinia 02/08/07 15h16. As you can surmise from their titles, these photographs were taken two days apart in August, from the same vantage point. The changes — subtle or obvious, natural or man made — revealed by the passage of time, are central to the work. Seen at different days and hours, the simple charm of the vista evolves into something richer — all the details unique to each moment are evidence of the transience of time and tide, creating a framework for human narrative, real or imagined. As each element is examined and identified, the daydream becomes clearer and the feeling of being there is that much closer...

[Read the entire newsletter here.]

* For anyone out there who might be wondering (and I know you're out there!): all of our editions are limited. Once they are sold out, that's it, that's all, they're gone for good. No exceptions.

"Design enthusiasts with small budgets, rejoice: there are now so many places to find affordable artwork, it is hard not to have impressive wall art," writes Julie Scelfo in today's New York Times.

The article points to Jen Bekman as pioneering this new model for online art sales with the launch of 20x200 in 2007. Jen comments in the article, “[The competition is] fine with me, as long as they’re creating great products and respecting the artists.”

Nine-time 20x200 edition-maker Jason Polan is also mentioned. The article can be read in full online and on page D3 of today's New York Times.

For The Economist, Lenina Mortimer writes that 20x200 is "the first of its kind" in the contemporary art market, noting how online retailers like 20x200 are bringing together emerging artists and their audience.

She goes on to say, "The prices are unintimidating enough to encourage a new generation of collectors, and the artists, who tend to be young and undiscovered, are better positioned to make a living from selling their work."

Ms. Jen Bekman is also quoted in the article, "When you think about a collector you think 'wealthy', and when you think about an artist you think 'destitute.' We are trying to close that gap."

Not only are we doing our best to bring the work of these artists to broader view, but we also want to help you choose art that you love. Check out our gift guides, browse by category or feel free to drop us a line at collector@20x200.com for some guidance.

The New Math of Relationships, 11"x14" by Craig Damrauer

The New Math of Relationships, detail, by Craig Damrauer

The New Math of Relationships, detail, by Craig Damrauer

The New Math of Relationships, 8"x10" detail, by Craig Damrauer

The New Math of Relationships
Laughter, Compassion, Argument or Hindsight | 8"x10" | $20 | 100
The New Math of Relationships | 11"x14" | $50 | 200
The New Math of Relationships | 16"x20" | $200 | 20
by
Craig Damrauer

I'm so excited about today's new editions that I find myself at a loss for words. There's so much about them that I'm totally in love with that it's hard to figure out where to start. This is our second time working with the prodigiously talented Craig Damrauer, whose Modern Art edition neatly deflects the most common of art criticisms.

Today's editions—also from his New Math series—tackle the complexities of relationships. Many and varied as those complexities are, it seemed fitting to present a suite of prints. (And a sweet suite at that!) Since we're talking about feelings and all, why not something tactile? Which is to say: these editions are letterpress, their inky black type so deeply impressed upon a paper woven of Craig's signature blue hue that you can feel them on the print's surface. Minimal and elegant, The New Math of Relationships makes the world of relationships seem utterly manageable (*cough*).

In his statement, Craig writes, "The problem with relationships is that their complexity belies quantification. Or, at least the kind of quantification that I'm capable of... I think of this piece a little bit like Ray and Charles Eames' The Powers of Ten in that as we get further away—and more equations enter the piece—we see the complexities of relationships a little more. The truth is that this tapestry of equations could stretch forever, or at least as far as human interaction stretches. And that's, I suppose, what makes relationships so difficult, so rewarding, so brilliant and impossible."

As someone who has always found comfort in words and is fond of molding them into formulas, his description resonates deeply with me. Words and formulas are much more tidy and manageable than people and all their stuff and what happens when your stuff gets mixed up with theirs. It's hard enough to reconcile everything that makes me me, with myself. It often seems impossible to mix all that junk up with someone else and emerge from such a collision intact. As I write this now and look at Craig's equations, I can't help but notice that the equal sign falls just short of bridging the distance on either side of any equation. Perhaps what's required is a leap of faith (don't look down!) and a belief that it will all add up somehow. Simple, right?

An Inability to Shake the Feeling of Running the Wrong Way into the Unknown by Colin Blakely

B-b-b-brisk Wednesday greetings collector friends. NYC turned into an icebox yesterday, but I've been warming myself with summertime memories and planning for the one to come—dreaming of long days at the beach, meandering bike rides and backyard barbeques. Colin Blakely inspires a different kind of warm and fuzzy nostalgia, one for a place far from the shores I'm daydreaming of, nestled deep in the heartland, Somewhere in Middle America. We're ever so pleased to debut his fourth (!) edition from that series here today, An Inability to Shake the Feeling of Running the Wrong Way into the Unknown.

I'm a city girl born and bred and don't imagine that I'll ever end up living anywhere that isn't close to the ocean. My identity is much more strongly tied to being a New Yorker than it is to being an American, but my life is very much rooted in an ethos of opportunity and idealism that I consider to be distinctly American. Alas, it's a version of this country that feels very far afield of the one we live in right now, and Colin's neighborhood evokes what I imagine it was and might still be in some small corners. This brings me back to the Carson McCullers quote I referenced when introducing Colin's last edition:

It is a curious emotion, this certain homesickness I have in mind. With Americans, it is a national trait, as native to us as the roller-coaster or the jukebox. It is no simple longing for the home town or country of our birth. The emotion is Janus-faced: we are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known. - Carson McCullers

Before I go, a couple things you shouldn't miss:

- Colin's previous (nearly sold-out) 20x200 editions: The Seeming Impenetrability of the Space Between, Recollection of the Battles Fought Maintaining the Home Front and The Emptiness Left by a Denial of the Use for which it was Intended.

- Colin was a Winter 2007 Hot Shot, winning us over with his work way back then.

- Hot on the heels of those accolades, Colin was a 2008 Aperture Portfolio Prize Runner-Up.

- Also with Aperture, he's put together a gorgeous, very limited edition of 25 prints of Effigy of the Unmarked but Persistent Passing of Time, 2007, from the series Somewhere in Middle America.

- If you're in Texas, catch Colin's work in person at FotoFest Headquarters in the three-person exhibition A Matter of Wit. The show is on view in Houston now through February 25th.

Looking for something a bit more creative than flowers or candy this V-Day? 20x200 art is the perfect solution, according to Michael Fazio and the lovely ladies of "The View".

We hit the big time day time this week with our talk show television debut on "The View". In a segment about finding "modern twists on time-tested Valentine’s Day favorites," 20x200 was featured for making real art accessible to all.

Check out the works featured on the show here, or browse our gift guides to find that special something for your special someone.

In the words of Whoopi, "Real art. I love it."

Mandrill by Amy Jean Porter

Tuesday greetings collectors! Today's edition Mandrill is by back-by-popular-demand artist (yes, some of you are terribly demanding!) by the name of Amy Jean Porter. As detailed when I introduced her first edition, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, world-renowned internerd Choire Sicha—founder and Editor in Chief of The Awl—played no small hand in helping bring 20x200 editions by Amy to fruition. In consideration of this auspicious lineage, it seemed appropriate that I consult with said nerd to discuss today's release. Forthwith, our terribly highbrow and wide-ranging conversation about art, delight and loving what you love because you love it.

Baby Monkey No. 5 by Sharon Montrose

Baby Monkey No. 6 by Sharon Montrose

Wednesday greetings collectors and welcome to the second (and last!) day of Monkey Week, with editions by none other than Sharon Montrose. Who else could be more perfect, really? It's been proven that even the most gimlet-eyed among us aren't immune to the charms of Ms. Montrose's menagerie of Piglet No. 2, Lamb No. 3, Baby Giraffe No. 5 and Baby White Tiger No. 5. It being Monkey Week and all, it seemed just the right moment to add these two simian sweeties—Baby Monkey No. 5 and Baby Monkey No. 6—to 20x200's cast of creatures.

These fellas pair well with yesterday's new edition from Amy Jean Porter for reasons that go beyond this obvious monkey business. My chat with Choire about Mandrill was focused on how delight is a perfectly fine reason to love a piece of art, and we lamented how hard it can be to get people to buy into such a thing. I referenced a blog comment that I wrote about how yes, baby animals do indeed make me happy, and that alone affords images of them a place in my home. The enduring popularity of Sharon's editions would lead one to believe that I'm hardly alone in feeling this way, and their broad appeal is one of the not-so-secret weapons of what we curate here and why:

As for how we make our selections: it's less about making a buck and more about offering an array of work that will engage a broad audience. We love working with artists like Roger Ballen, but we also love the idea of people who feel intimidated and/or alienated by the art world discovering something that they love via our site. Once they're there and engaged, they can dig in deeper and learn more (perhaps better appreciate?) the challenging stuff.

Sharon's work is beloved by the many and the varied: from stylish and savvy parents who are enamored with the idea of starting their kids collecting from the crib and hang them in nurseries, to bona fide, grown-up sophisticates who install Sharon's prints alongside work by some of the heaviest hitters in the art world, to members of New York's finest, which brings me to one of my favorite municipal-workers-can-be-art-collectors-too stories:

Not too long ago, an NYPD car sidled up to the curb in front of Jen Bekman Gallery. The car's driver, a cop, recognized the name on the awning, and strolled right up to the gallery's front desk without a shred of that "galleries-are-so-intimidating-and-what-if-they're-rude-to-me" hesitation, excited to check the place out and happily divulging his affection for his growing 20x200 collection by... you guessed it: Sharon! Montrose!

I love that an NYC police officer is collecting art from us! That he walked into our gallery to let us know how much he enjoys the site and had things to say about one artist in particular is freaking awesome. The postman in Oregon had never heard of Ballen before his conversation with Matt; I'd like to think that him loving 20x200 means that he's much more inclined to consider that work like that could have a place in his home too. One thing that's so cool to me about the whole idea of engaging all kinds of people is that once they're engaged and grow to trust us, there's an opportunity to expand horizons, challenge preconceptions and evolve taste.

Today's monkeys aren't necessarily as effortlessly engaging as Sharon's previous editions have been—in fact, a few members of team 20x200 have been downright creeped out by them. Conversely, some people who've not been as easily captivated by our animal menagerie are awfully charmed by these two. So, in their own way, these editions are challenging too... and we see that as a good thing.

Bird Power by Carrie Marill

Happy Tuesday-after-a-holiday-weekend, collector friends. It's Sara—today, I have the distinct pleasure of kicking things off on the bright side with all of you.

Our eleventh edition from Arizona-based artist Carrie Marill, Bird Power, is a kaleidoscopic, slightly-psychedelic, kinetic promise of what's to come. Carrie's spun ten (count 'em!) different species together, all radiating color and bursting like spring bulbs from the ground. Dew drops are sprinkled across the surface, leaving winter in the wake for spring's showers and May flowers.

Over the years, we've come along way with Carrie. She's represented by JBG and has had not one but two solo shows at the gallery. If you're in NYC, or will be next weekend, you'll be able to see some of her original works, along with photographs by other 20x200 faves Christian Chaize and Gregory Krum. In art-for-everyone style, we'll have goodies to give away from our booth and all over the fairs. Stay tuned for more details! To be sure you catch us in action, say hi here:

PULSE NEW YORK
125 W 18th Street, New York, NY
Booth #b-4
Thursday, March 3: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
Friday, March 4 + Saturday, March 5: noon–8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6: noon–5 p.m.

Jen and I have penned fountains about Carrie and her interest and investment in the environment, the natural world and extinction. But, Bird Power is decidedly fun—as Carrie herself said, sometimes you need stuff that just makes you feel good. So, I'll depart with a poem apt at describing what this painting might be about, in case you weren't instantly smitten with it. Like the hope that Ms. Dickinson writes of, for all the happiness and seasonal signs they bring us, with their songs and flight and migrations, birds ask very little of us humans—this celebratory pinwheel seems just the thing to say thanks.

Hope is the thing with feathers
by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Mandala 1401D by Bill Armstrong

Mandala 1402D by Bill Armstrong

I'm surprised when the work appears beautiful, and very pleased. And I think work can be very good and very successful without being able to call it beautiful, although I'm not clear about that. The work is good when it has a certain completeness, and when it's got a certain completeness, then it's beautiful.

I spotted this quote on Tumblr late last night, and it made me think of today's editions. I've actually been thinking about the editions a lot lately, excited that they've finally come to fruition after a long and fascinating process with photographer Bill Armstrong. It's certainly no surprise that Mandala 1401D and Mandala 1402D are beautiful. I mean, look at them! They're gorgeous. What's extra wonderful about them though, is that they're also very good and very successful. Achieving such feats of artistic daredevilry is nothing new for Bill—he's been making and exhibiting critically-acclaimed work for years and some of the world's finest museums have his prints in their collections.

So yeah, you could say that Bill's a Famous Artist, but the time that Sara and I spent with him was a window into the mundane ways in which Artists Are Just Like Us. It was in the familiar surroundings of a filled-to-the-brim NY apartment of busy people living busy lives—the clutter and chaos that comes with sharing that home with a small child, and that child's drawings and extra-curricular schedule stuck on the fridge—that we had the novel opportunity to work with Bill for an afternoon, assembling pieces to be photographed to make the editions for today, which kind of made us feel like kids. We stacked shapes and combined colors with abandon, arrayed them across backgrounds of varying hues, and then gingerly carried our compositions across a clackety parquet floor to Bill's deceptively simple studio set-up. As he rather matter-of-factly went about his business of photographing, it was painfully obvious that there was nothing about what we were doing that could have been art unless it was looked at through Bill's eyes.*

That was reinforced again when we received the first round of proofs from Bill. His process and commentary was so alien to I'm-so-not-an-artist me, and also utterly delightful and sort of magical to boot. And yes, his was also the voice of experience—that's the mundane that makes the magic—the day in and day out of making work and refining a practice. And there's something magic in the mundane, too—that's the romance of the artist-in-his-garret meditating on a small and special thing and honing it into ART.

How lucky we are for the artists in this world, who create these amazing things, some of which we even get to live with. I'm certainly looking forward to living with Bill's photographs—the intense colors are surprisingly soothing to contemplate. High-strung as I am, the idea of meditating on anything usually makes me twitchy, but these energetic images hold my attention in a way that replenishes my capacity for joy.

* Which makes me think of another edition I'm particularly fond of, Craig Damrauer's Modern Art.

North of the Tennis House by Joseph O. Holmes

Surprise! It's Sara this morning. We have quite a week in front of us so we're kicking things off a little early—taking a look back as we anticipate all there is ahead.

We proofed North of the Tennis House by Joseph O. Holmes when we were readying to open The Urban Wilderness at the JBG. Back then, to celebrate the show, the snow, the holidays, and everything that keeps us warm and cozy through the winter, we released The Sledding Hill at Dusk. We delayed sending this particular image out into the world, stashing it away for the dreariest of days when it could emerge as a silver lining. I'm happy (in a twisted sense, I guess) to say that today is the day!

We're not alone in looking to Joe's work for comfort. As the show was closing, James Danziger of Chelsea's Danziger Projects, as well as the always delightful blog The Year in Pictures, called on Joe's photos to remedy what he cited as the most depressing day of the year. He wrote:

Joe's pictures were taken in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, not Central Park, but they convey the same magical feeling of the urban metropolis transformed into a wintery Eden. And they're nearly all about dog walking! (As well as about light, and color, and composition.) Joe values may be old-fashioned—he's someone looking to find the sublime or the memorable in the everyday—but his pictures have a nice contemporary feel due to their color and scale. And the show is a sure cure for those January blues!

While today we're drenched in a dark downpour, fear not, the signs that spring is ahead are abundant. At the top of this list: Armory Arts Week—it's here! And we're just about ready to unfurl this year's Art Fair Survival Kits. Like last year's, they'll include a hand-drawn map by one of our stellar artists, pointing you to the best locales for art and other refreshments. More details to come tomorrow but here's where you can find us, starting this Thursday:

PULSE NEW YORK
125 W 18th Street, New York, NY
Booth #b-4
Thursday, March 3: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
Friday, March 4 + Saturday, March 5: noon–8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6: noon–5 p.m.

Our 2011 NYC Art Fairs map—an opinionated guide to what matters and where to find the artists we adore—is also up and ready for your perusal. So, we'll hope to see you there. Jen will be back here, tomorrow. Till then!

Flora #2 by Christina Muraczewski

To say that this print packs a punch is a little bit of an understatement. I mean, look at it! True to form, Christina Muraczewski has laid it on thick in her newest edition, Flora #2. And with everything that's going on today, the timing couldn't be better to be sharing this layered burst of loveliness with all of you.

It's Sara, pinch-hitting for and well-wishing a sick Ms. Bekman. She and Chrissy go way back. Ms. Muraczewski was one of the very first artists to release an edition on 20x200 and has graced us with her presence every so often since. Jen's a big fan of the clever faux bois that papers the backgrounds of her compositions. That's where Chrissy's smart surface interpretations begin but her blending of real and fake extends to the objects painted over them. The flowers, birds, polka-dots and patterns are borrowed from the design language of desire that we're all vaguely (if not intimately) familiar with, thanks to Ikea, Crate & Barrel, and the like.

Subversively, Chrissy inserts them into her paintings—playing a game that's something like design-borrowed-from-art-borrowing-from-design-to-make-art-again. As domestic and comforting as her subjects may be, there's something slightly (excitingly) unsettling about the sprinkling of them here. While I'm not going to get into the art vs. design debate, that feeling is the part, for me at least, that affirms what Chrissy's doing is definitely art.

If you're more of the art than design type, this weekend was made for you. The Armory Show art fairs kick off this Thursday in NYC! And we're seriously spinning about them this year. We'll be there, with a booth at PULSE, AND infiltrating on foot just about everywhere else, armed with our Art Fair Survival Kits. Back by popular demand, they're filled to the brim with goodies and essentials, designed to save you from art fair fatigue. Read all about them and follow us on Twitter to get updates on all the fun and games throughout the weekend. We'll hope to see you soon!

Untitled, from the series Aggressive Girls by Chikara Umihara

Hello collector friends, it's Sara. As an undergrad studying art and English, I realized lots of advice for writers also applies to photographers and other artists. Among the things told to writers, "Write about what you know" is probably the most common and the least helpful. At best, it assumes you already know a lot—enough to be some sort of authority—about something, anything, which often, is intimidating, or just isn't true. At worst, it denies that the process of writing or making art is all about figuring things out, or even, asking more questions than you answer along the way.

The more relevant counsel, I think, is "Write about what only you can write about." Or, if you are an artist, make the work that only you can make. Today's photographer, 2010 Hot Shot Chikara Umihara, photographs what only he can photograph. To make Untitled, from the series Aggressive Girls and the other images in the series—a few of which are on view as part of the 2010 Hey, Hot Shot! Showcase at Jen Bekman Gallery—Chikara earned access and permission, through persistence and genuine interest, to document an underground community of lesbian women in Brooklyn who have adopted male-dominant hip hop culture as their own.

As a male studying photography for one year in New York at the International Center for Photography, it wasn't a community he would have probably, naturally, known superficially and even less likely, intimately. But because of the type of person and photographer he is—wholly compassionate, intelligent, never condescending—documenting these women, their lives and surrounding details, was a project that only he could do.

"I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them." If Chikara said this, he would most likely be right—I can't imagine stumbling across this pre-celebration set up of balloons, streamers and trophies that seem to defy the age, dirt and crumble of their surroundings. But the quote comes from an artist Chikara cites as an inspiration: Diane Arbus, the photographer who is known for her portraits of people, many who probably wouldn't have been photographed if she hadn't. Arbus also said, "The thing that's important to know is that you never know. You're always sort of feeling your way."

NYC Art Fairs Weekend Reminder
While you're out and about this weekend, at the fairs all over the city, swing by JBG downtown, and catch the 2010 Hey, Hot Shot! Showcase before it closes. Or make your first stop the Jen Bekman Gallery booth at PULSE and pick up an Art Fair Survival Kit. Follow us on Twitter to find out exactly where else we'll be all weekend long.

PULSE NEW YORK
125 W 18th Street, New York, NY
Booth #b-4
Thursday, March 3: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.
Friday, March 4 + Saturday, March 5: noon–8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6: noon–5 p.m.