20x200

In its May issue, Art in America touts Jen and 20x200 as the first to foray into the world of digital print selling and into the business of making art accessible to the everyman.

In the article, writer Faye Hirsch examines the emergence of digital art startups and their effect on the larger, more traditional art market. "How profitable Internet print businesses will become remains to be seen, as they are all start-ups," she writes. "However, the pioneer, 20x200, is surprisingly visible, at least in New York: it seems everyone I mentioned this article to has purchased one of the prints or knows someone who has." She continues:

I recently spotted William Powhida's 20x200 project, the amusing Why You Should Buy Art, a checklist in emphatic uppercase lettering (which as of this writing was nearly sold out), on the wall in a hip downtown group exhibition.

Hirsch points to 20x200 as the first to introduce affordable art to the online community, and the original promoter of "Art for Everyone." Though some remain skeptical, Hirsch writes, others are jumping onboard the 20x200 train:

Pace's [Jacob] Lewis is receptive to the idea of e-commerce prints. "These folks are introducing art to a younger generation. As the buyers invest further, I would hope they will invest in stronger work. It’s a great starting point."

The article closes with Jen's insight into the future of 20x200 and the changing face of the art world:

Bekman is more than hopeful: "I often call 20x200 the 'gateway drug' of the art world," she says. And there is evidence that people who purchase e-commerce prints go on to buy more expensive works by the same artists, beginning with the originals, which some seek to acquire (often through the publishers, sometimes through the artist’s gallery). Her appetite whetted, Bekman herself bought an etching by Ed Ruscha from Crown Point Press in San Francisco for $4,000. "The goal is to get people to move on and buy other work," she says. As to the resistance from the fine-art print dealers: "That's a pretty small pie they've got, and no one wants to give up their piece. Sometimes I look at those fantastic print workshops and think, 'Boy, I could move that inventory!' But I have too many irons in the fire." She adds, "There are tons of people willing to buy art if you sell it to them. There's no shame in that."

Along with Jen, artists Mike + Doug Starn, William Wegman, Roger Ballen, Lawrence Weiner, Penelope Umbrico and William Powhida are also mentioned in the article. To read the text in full, pick up the May issue of Art in America at your neighborhood newsstand or read online—and don't miss the sidebar highlighting 20x200!