20x200 on Lucky Magazine Blog!
Posted in: press On: October 29, 2009 By:kika
We've been featured on Lucky Magazine's Lucky Right Now blog! The article, titled "Rad Affordable Art", highlights one of our recent favorites, Nonsensical Infographic No.1 by Chad Hagen. Kamping Kabins by Ian Baguskas, whose work you can look forward to in the upcoming exhibit at Jen Bekman Gallery, is also featured.
Elise writes "There will always be a debate about whether art can be affordable. I am firmly, firmly in the yes camp—beauty is a pretty relative thing, don't you think? Thus, the brilliance of sites like 20x200.com."
We couldn't agree more.
20x20 is InStyle!
Posted in: press On: October 29, 2009 By:jackie
20x200 has been listed among the "best in affordable art" on p.236 in the November issue of InStyle Magazine! Pictured above is Victoria's Peak, Hong Kong by 20x200 edition-maker Emily Shur, which you can pickup for yourself right here. And don't forget: sign up for the 20x200 mailing list to receive weekly announcements of our new editions.
Jane Mount's Bookshelves in Angeleno Interiors Magazine
Posted in: press On: October 29, 2009 By:casey
20x200 edition-maker Jane Mount's popular Ideal Bookshelf 1, JMM is featured in the current issue of Angeleno Interiors magazine.
About her series Jane writes,
When I look at a shelf of books I see huge clouds of ideas stuffed down into humble packages. We people like to show off our books on shelves like merit badges, because we're proud of the ideas we've ingested to make us who we are, and want to display our insides for others to see, hoping to make a connection or impression. I think this is endearing and charming, and also makes me feel a bit sad for us. And yet when I paint someone else's bookshelf and they have some of the same books I do, I feel inordinately joyful about it, and about them.
You can only grab the magazine if you live in LA, but no matter where you are in the world you can take Angeleno's advice and pick up some "primary-toned tomes" of your own from 20x200. Or, if children's books aren't your bag (but how could they not be?), Jane's other editions depict shelves of Moleskine notebooks and an eclectic collection of grown-up books.
Business Week press
Posted in: press On: October 26, 2009 By:kika
JBP in the NY Times: For Online Art Gallery 20×200, An Unlikely Investor
Posted in: press On: October 21, 2009 By:youngna
We have some exciting news to share with all of you at 20x200: we're growing! We've closed a first round of funding, raising just over $800,000 of support from an inspiring group of people. Techcrunch broke the story earlier today and below is the piece featured in the NY Times' shortly thereafter. The funding was led by Tony Conrad at True Ventures, who wrote about his excitement for 20x200 on their blog.
We'll have more to say in upcoming days, but couldn't wait to share the news!
Click below for the rest of the article!
Continue reading "JBP in the NY Times: For Online Art Gallery 20×200, An Unlikely Investor" »
20x200 in Time Out NY
Posted in: press On: October 15, 2009 By:kika
This week's issue of Time Out New York takes a look at the latest and greatest in home design. Lucky for us, 20x200 has been profiled as one of the "Best shops for affordable art"! Listed among several stellar retailers, Time Out declared that 20x200's success is a result the fact that, "people looking to buy art have an open marketplace in which to play". So, start browsing and have fun while you're at it.
Already a 20x200 customer and need a place to frame your artwork? Time Out has also compiled a list of the "Best shops for custom framing". Now you have no excuse to not to live with art!
Chris Ballantyne in ARTFORUM
Posted in: press On: September 28, 2009 By:kara
Installation view of Chris Ballantyne's mural at Park Life Gallery
Brooklyn-based artist Chris Ballantyne is currently in a three-person collaborative exhibition in San Francisco's Park Life gallery. The exhibition was chosen by ARTFORUM critic Glen Helfand as a pick of the month. Of Ballantyne's work in the show he writes:
Ballantyne’s view of disaster is more placid in his wall painting of blocky multistory buildings partially submerged in calmly rippling blue water—a stoic version of J. G. Ballard’s dystopian 1962 novel, The Drowned World. The artist also incorporates the gallery’s architecture—a hanging pipe cleanly pierces one of his buildings, fittingly enhancing the tone of controlled chaos.
Read the full ARTFORUM review here, and see Chris's two 20x200 editions:
Untitled, Tidal Bore (Surfer)
and
Untitled, Neighborhood (Overgrown)
Andrew Schoultz, Chris Ballantyne, Mark Mulroney
A collaboration
PARK LIFE
220 Clement Street | San Francisco
September 4–October 11
A Sneak Peek of Jen's Apartment on Design*Sponge!
Posted in: press On: September 21, 2009 By:kika
A few weeks ago, several of us on Team JBP headed over to style and shoot Jen's apartment, and have been itching to share the photos. So, we are are extra-pleased to announce that Jen's apartment was featured on Design*Sponge's Sneak Peek today, where her art-filled apartment joins the annals of other stylishly featured homes! You can see the original post with lots of photos on Design*Sponge, where you will very quickly notice that Jen heeds the words of the 20x200 motto, "Live with art, it's good for you!"
Most of the work in her apartment is by Hot Shots, Jen Bekman Gallery artists and 20x200 stars—including many editions that are still available! We've listed those editions for you below; get them while they're hot!
Many Mountains by Ky Anderson
Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Carts #1 by Kate Bingaman-Burt
Just Let It Go by Kotama Bouabane
Praia Piquina 02/08/07 15h16 by Christian Chaize
You are Important by Stephanie Cinelli
Birds of the Rockies by Laura Levine
House Plant no. 2 by Carrie Marill
Site by Sarah McKenzie
Bookshelf 20 by Jane Mount
Polly by Christina Muraczewski
Needle-Needle-Nee by Coke O'Neal
Mercedes Planter by Amy Park
Fortune (will be successful in...) by Kirby Pilcher
Auditorium by James Rajotte
Grand Finale by Rachell Sumpter
Cascade by Jessica Snow
ny.07#32 by Jennifer Sanchez
Thanks to Grace, Anne and the d*s team for inviting Jen to share her apartment!
Jorge Colombo does it again!
Posted in: press On: September 14, 2009 By:kika
You probably remember Jorge Colombo's stellar New Yorker cover released in May. We've got exciting news however that Jorge is at it again with another New Yorker cover!
Newyorker.com has provided us with a video of how Jorge created Finger Painting: New Day. This video series is frequently updated with new installments each week. My most recent fave is On The Corner.
Go out and buy your copy of the New Yorker today and feast your eyes on Jorge's work. Also, watch your inbox for another special 20x200 announcement about Jorge. Sign up for the newsletter, if you haven't already, to make sure you don't miss out. The 8"x10" prints that accompanied his four editions have completely sold out. (Don't worry, they are still available in larger sizes!)
Steve Heller interviews Jen Bekman for Print Magazine
Posted in: press On: September 4, 2009 By:sara
The Heller interviews our one-and-only Jen Bekman in the October 2009 issue of Print magazine. The two dish about art, design and collecting in this economy. Also gracing the magazine's glossy pages are think-make-think by Clifton Burt and Verlag 3 by Carol Padberg.
Wondering about the chock-full-of-new-art-email Mr. Heller mentions? Make sure you're signed up too—your inbox will never look better than it does every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon when 20x200 pays a visit! Then, maybe your walls will start to take after your emails...
Jorge Colombo hits the West Coast!
Posted in: press On: August 28, 2009 By:sara
Jorge Colombo is known for his iconic iPhone drawings of New York City. His ephemeral, glowing sketches earned him a New Yorker cover, in addition to accolades and much attention, and a regular spot on The New Yorker blog.
What happens when an artist who is so devoted to NYC—Colombo has the opening scene of Woody Allen's Manhattan on his phone—ventures into new territory? We're about to find out.
San Francisco's own 7x7 announced that Jorge's due for a visit to their fine city and has plans to draw as much as he can. We're big fans of SF and will be looking forward to seeing what Jorge comes home with.
Jane Mount on The New Yorker blog
Posted in: press On: August 11, 2009 By:youngna
Image: Bookshelf 43; MM/CE, Oakland, California by Jane Mount
The one and only Jane Mount, star of 20x200, Summer Reading artist, and also part of the JBP team, is featured by Monica Racic on The New Yorker blog today. Congrats, Jane!
Racic describes Jane's Ideal Bookshelf project, which has her imagining other people's favorite books. This is a continuation of a previous project, where she documented bookshelves in other people's homes.
Racic writes of Jane,
Capturing the personality of a book-owner is part of what drew Mount to her subject matter. “I often meet people and want to paint their books.” she said over e-mail last week. “And people will commission me to paint theirs or a friend’s shelf of books, which I love doing, because it’s a way of peeking into their lives.” Such commissions have included a shelf containing the books used to write a dissertation on twentieth-century English novels.
Ideal Bookshelf 1, JMM by Jane Mount
Jane writes of her own ideal bookshelf, pictured above and available on 20x200 for $50 and $200, "This set happens to be a grouping of my favorite children's books; I’ve been more influenced by books I read as a kid than books from any other time in my life."
Click over to The New Yorker Blog to read the full post and stop on over at the gallery through August 22nd to see Jane's bookshelves in person.
20x200 Featured in Real Simple!
Posted in: press On: July 27, 2009 By:kika
We're excited to announce that we've been featured in the August issue of Real Simple ! We are included in the insiders guide to the best online resources for decorating your home. For affordable art, it's true, it doesn't get better than 20x200! The issue hit the stands this week and features a quote from DIY Network host Amy Devers who says, "It's a smart way to collect art."
Yes it is, Amy, we couldn't agree more! So start your search and don't forget to check our Going, going, gone! selection to snap up work that will surely not last much longer.
20x200 makes great gifts!
Posted in: press On: July 23, 2009 By:sara
It's the thought that counts, or if you're Andy Spade or Anthony Sperduti of Partners & Spade, it's a little extra thought that counts. The two put artwork by Jason Polan at the top of their list of the best things to give a host or hostess in The New York Times.
If you're heading to friends' or family's homes for a party, BBQ or weekend get-away, grab some art before you go!
There are a few original drawings by Jason and Jane Mount still available:
Thrilla in Manila to Benefit 826NYC
and
Editions by Jason Polan available on 20x200:
Insects and Myriapods at The American Museum of Natural History
132 Birds at The American Museum of Natural History
Sea Creatures at The American Museum of Natural History
Dinosaurs at The American Museum of Natural History
Rocks at The American Museum of Natural History
20x200 in Better Homes and Gardens
Posted in: press On: July 20, 2009 By:kara
20x200 made it into the refreshing ideas issue of Better Homes and Gardens!
We not only made it on the list of 30 big-impact (low-budget) ideas for sprucing up your home, we made it to the top of the list--coming in at number five!
We've got more than a couple of magnificent prints coming your way in the next two days, so keep an eye out! In the meantime, you can also enjoy a virtual stroll through our archives and see what you can add to your collection. There is so much goodness to be found!
Exciting! Matt Jones' Get Excited Featured in the NYT
Posted in: press On: July 6, 2009 By:sara
Get Excited And Make Things by Matt Jones
The New York Times' Consumed columnist Rob Walker writes:
A blunt slogan and a simple image: these basic elements of persuasion, protest, propaganda or making a point have been used in tandem and to great effect for as long as anyone reading this has been alive.
He's right and that's just why we love Matt Jones' Get Excited and Make Things 20x200 edition so darn much!
The print was featured in Walker's Re-mixed Messages in last Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Walker traces the evolution of "Keep Calm and Carry On" all the way to "Keep Calm and Eat a Cupcake."
Jones' rendition, Get Excited and Make Things, is still available on 20x200:
11" x 14" for $50
or
24" x 30" for $1000
Proceeds from this edition benefit the non-profit Creative Commons.
Martha Knows What's Up: ART for Everyone in MSL
Posted in: press On: June 10, 2009 By:sara
We were pleased as punch to see Beth Dow's Passage, Levens Hall on the newly-printed pages of Martha Stewart Living. The July issue is out to subscribers and should hit the newsstands soon! Find 20x200 on page 30.
We've been telling you all along but hearing it from the Queen of Divine Domesticity is way better: "Striking, affordable artwork is just a click away"!
With all this attention, Dow's work is sure to be slipping away faster than ever, so pick up your prints while they're still around:
JBG in Art in America
Posted in: press On: May 11, 2009 By:kara
JBG booth at NEXT featured paintings by Sarah McKenzie
Earlier this month Jen Bekman Gallery participated in Chicago's NEXT invitational exhibition of emerging art. JBG's efforts were praised in a recent Art in America review (whose title echoes our egalitarian tagline): Art for All at Chicago's Fairs.
The article also gave props to Sarah McKenzie for her "crisp paintings" which were on view at our booth.
Read the full article here, then have a look at work from other JBG artists (many of which also have edition prints available here on 20x200) who were featured at NEXT: Ian Baguskas, Mara Bodis Wollner, Christine Callahan, Christian Chaize, Beth Dow, Joseph Holmes, Gregory Krum, Holly Lynton, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Brad Moore, Hosang Park, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, and Carlo Van de Roer.
Huffington Post Hearts Moms + 20x200!
Posted in: press On: May 7, 2009 By:sara
Untitled (We are going to make it through this year if it kills us by Mike Monteiro
Sarah Shetter and Alison Palevsky included 20x200 in their list of original and affordable (under $50!) ideas for Mother's Day gifts on The Huffington Post yesterday and we couldn't agree more! The gift of art is one of the greatest! As Sarah and Alison point out, she'll always think of you when gazing upon her gorgeous print. Double the goodness knowing that you're also supporting a living artist! Browse the archives for the perfect print.
[Psst! A little behind the ball and worried that your gift won't arrive by Sunday? Make a little drawing of the print you've picked out for her, she might love it as much as she loves the real deal once it arrives. It'll be just like the gifts you made before you had an allowance or a job but better!]
20x200 is IN!
Posted in: press On: April 30, 2009 By:kara
Well-being 2 by Valerie Roybal featured in People Magazine's Style Watch (above)
Good news! 20x200 made the grade in People Magazine's IN & OUT feature alongside home cooking, spiked cocktails and loose bouquets. I'm positive a 20x200 edition print would be right at home with all of the above, and come to think of it, so would I!
Viva 20x200!
Collecting Art Without Breaking the Bank
Posted in: press On: April 6, 2009 By:kara
Image of Jen Bekman by Zach Klein
The one and only Jen Bekman is in California for a short interlude, and immediately she's been interviewed by 7x7, a San Franciscocentric culture magazine. Read the interview here, and if you happen to be in San Francisco this very evening, go out and meet Jen and the 20x200 crew at Chronicle Books 680 Second St. at the Collectors Confab!
20x200: Easy and Affordable
Posted in: press On: April 1, 2009 By:kara
ny.08.#14 by Jennifer Sanchez
20x200 and Jennifer Sanchez are profiled in Traditional Home's online feature, access: art. Click on over to see, and to get inspired to find a 20x200 print or two to add to your home, traditional or not. Browse our archives here.
20x200 Feels the Love
Posted in: press On: January 28, 2009 By:kara
Insects and Myriapods at The American Museum of Natural History
by Jason Polan was featured on HGTV's blog today
Buy one now
Did Valentine's Day arrive early this year? It sure seems like it with the love that 20x200 is garnering today! First there was this most generous post on HGTV's Style Sheet: Cheap Artwork Find: Original Art for $20, $50 and $200.
The best part about 20x200.com is that it’s not only providing collectors with cheap art, it’s providing new talent with exposure and income.
Featured artists include 20x200 superstars:
Passage, Levens Hall
by Beth Dow
Buy one now
Nymphenburg
by Gregory Krum
Buy one now
Bus
by Juliane Eirich
Buy one now
Close Call
by Coke Wisdom O'Neal
Buy one now
ny.08.#06
by Jennifer Sanchez
Buy one now
Then came this sweet little shout out from Greg Allen: Sweet, Cheap & Available: amnh By Joseph O. Holmes
amnh #62
by Joseph O. Holmes
Buy one now
I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to see what good news tomorrow will bring!
Jen Bekman in Domino Magazine
Posted in: press On: January 22, 2009 By:kara
Jen Bekman and 20x200 are the recipients of some very kind words in the current issue of Domino Magazine. Jen is lauded as one of the most innovative online shopping pioneers as a result of 20x200's success. Jen shares the spotlight with today's edition artist, Matthew Tischler, as well as:
Nymphenburg
by Gregory Krum
Buy one now
Untitled (Black Blocks)
by Todd St. John
Buy one now
And, lastly, an edition artist that has yet to be (but will soon be!) featured on the site, Christian Chaize. His photograph, Praia Piquinia 04/08/07 16h04, is quietly selling as a result of Domino's praise:
Viva 20x200!
Forbes.com Hearts 20x200
Posted in: press On: November 18, 2008 By:kara
Untitled (Hanoi no.2)
by Kelly Shimoda
Buy one now
Forbes.com selected 20x200 as its ForbesLife Find of the Day! According to their review, buying art on 20x200 is $20 better spent than "a mid-afternoon splurge at the vending machine". It is also much healthier for you.
Thinking about $20 editions, here are some prints which I am truly surprised to see are still available:
Cul de Sac
by Michelle Weinberg
Buy one now
amnh #62
by Joseph O. Holmes
Buy one now
Paradigm Shift
by Jessica Snow
Buy one now
Panda
by Charlie Crane
Buy one now
GQ Shows 20x200 (and Dustin Amery Hostetler) Love
Posted in: press On: September 23, 2008 By:kara
GQ throws the spotlight on 20x200 and Dustin Amery Hostetler in their October issue.
1 Hund(red) sneaker for CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED by Dustin Amery Hostetler
Dustin also recently designed a sneaker for CONVERSE (PRODUCT) RED. You can check out his design as well as offerings from other artists here.
Dustin's edition print:
Color Study #4
Dustin's site
20x200 Makes the Hot List
Posted in: press On: September 4, 2008 By:kara
20x200 and Carie Marill were selected for the Hot List in Louisiana Homes & Gardens September issue.
Look for Carrie Marill's solo show, Doing a Lot with Very Little, opening at Jen Bekman Gallery September 12th.
Jen Bekman Gallery
6 Spring Street
New York, NY
Opening Reception: Friday September 12th 6pm-8pm
20x200: When Art Meets Commerce, An Industry Shifts
Posted in: press On: June 27, 2008 By:kara
Ginger Tulley has some kind words about the 20x200 website on the Movable Type blog:
Less than a year after 20x200 launched, the site has been an unqualified success: over 14,000 prints have been sold to date, to a customer list that includes artists, celebrities and respected collectors from around the world. The site has become an important corollary to Jen's New York gallery, and a vital part of her ongoing mission to champion emerging artists.
When we talk about Movable Type, we often say: "you imagine it, we enable it" and 20x200 demonstrates that maxim - dare we say - artfully.
Read the post in full here
Bert Teunissen featured in The Guardian
Posted in: artists On: June 19, 2008 By:kara
Grassano #1, 31/10/2005 8:48
The Guardian selected 20x200 photographer Bert Teunissen to feature in the Arts section today.
Bert Teunissen: For the past 12 years I've been driving around Europe, building up an archive of houses whose interiors have not changed for decades. It is a project about light, and the era in which natural daylight dictated the architecture of a place, how it was used, and where you'd find the furniture. And, of course, I need the owners in the picture, because they are the people who keep it the way it is.
Eisenbach #1, 27/7/2005 15:34
Read Leo Benedictus' full interview here.
Bert is also part of the Ornithology group show opening this Wednesday June 25th at Jen Bekman Gallery.
Bert's website
Elle nods at 20x200 and Luke Stephenson
Posted in: press On: June 11, 2008 By:kara
Image from Spectacle Wearing Folk series
by Luke Stephenson
Fashion and affordable art collide!
Luke Stephenson's 20x200 edition Yellow Canary #1 illustrates a post on Elle's blog Tell All:
"It seems everyone in New York is looking for something. While I'm not seeking one of the Sex and the City coined "three" (a job, apartment or boyfriend), after this new find I vote to add a fourth- extended wall space."
Read Alia Ahmed-Yahia's full item here.
You can catch more of Luke Stephenson in the Summer Group Show Ornithlogy at Jen Bekman Gallery.
Nina Berman in Aperture
Posted in: press On: May 28, 2008 By:raul
The summer issue of Aperture features a story titled "Picturing the Iraq War Veterans" by curator Mary Panzer. The article compares the work of Nina Berman, James Nachtwey, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and Christopher Morris calling them "some of the strongest photographers working today." Berman who is represented by Jen Bekman and has a piece on 20x200 titled 9/11 2002 was included in the piece for her projects Purple Hearts and Marine Wedding.
Of Berman's work Panzer writes, "There is nothing intrusive or especially intimate about these images. Berman does not invite her subjects to let down their guard, but rather offers them a chance to be seen on their own terms." Later of the interviews Berman includes in her book Purple Hearts, she notes, "There is no redemptive value here, no glory. Almost everyone expresses some pride in having joined the military, and virtually all give a surprisingly blunt assessment of where they are now, and what their lives will be like from now on."'
Nina Berman's book: Purple Hearts
Berman's Prints: Jen Bekman Gallery
9/11 2002: 9/11 2002
PDN's 46 Reasons to Love Photography Now
Posted in: press On: May 15, 2008 By:raul
"Often the best ideas are the simplest, and the simplicity of 20x200 has generated a lot of buzz from magazines such as Dwell and ReadyMade, and sites such as Boing Boing and ApartmentTherapy. It’s also generated plenty of sales:In March, small-size prints by Colin Blakely and Bert Teunissen sold out in less than a week."While it's true the prints sold out quickly, it didn't take a week, both of those prints sold out in less than an hour.
20x200 in Sunset Magazine
Posted in: press On: May 15, 2008 By:raul
The Sunset Magazine blog has a nice piece on 20x200 this week. Click on over.
20x200 in the Houston Chronicle
Posted in: press On: March 26, 2008 By:youngna
Lisa Gray of the Houston Chronicle was one of the lucky people who got to Carlo Van de Roer's Astoria Park swimming pool 20x200 edition before it sold out in December; she caught up with Jen while she was in Houston for FotoFest and wrote a nice long piece about us, On the Internet, it's real art for $20:
"I want to demystify art," Bekman says. "I want to make it OK for people to say, 'I like that because there's a lot of green, or because there's a bird in it.' And then they can look at it longer, and see more, and have a deeper experience."
20x200 in New York Magazine!
Posted in: press On: March 3, 2008 By:youngna
New York Magazine, in their prestigious annual Best of NY issue, named us Best Starter Art Collection, which is wonderfully flattering. Thanks NY Mag!
20x200 in the New York Times: Easing the Pain of Collecting
Posted in: press On: February 28, 2008 By:youngna
Julie Scelfo's Easing the Pain of Collecting in The New York Times is a great long feature about our Jen Bekman and how she came to start both her gallery and 20x200:
"The whole thing was crazy," she said. Opening the gallery "was so impulsive," she continued. "It was literally me sitting in my living room drinking Scotch with friends, and I was laughing — wouldn’t it be funny if someone picked up the phone and said Jen Bekman Gallery?"
20x200 in Wired!
Posted in: press On: February 25, 2008 By:20x200
Lest you think only newspapers love us, there are some rather lovely shout outs in magazines, too! Wired shows us some love in this month's issue, calling 20x200 the best choice for "art patrons who want gallery quality without gallery attitude" on their shortlist of places to buy original art online!
Double Dose of Joe in Manhattan User's Guide
Posted in: press On: November 8, 2007 By:20x200
MUG on Prospect Park by Joseph O. Holmes:
"This is one of his most captivating images, and that's saying something."
If one is ever short of things to do and even if one is already consumed with mind-numbing activities, I prescribe a daily visit to Joe's NYC, the photoblog of the photographer formally known as Joseph O. Holmes. Joe has captured and documented many-a-fascinating, quirky, wonderful and mundane-made-interesting on his camera.
He has generated a following of addicted visitors to his blog and also a fan base from his daily photograph on Manhattan User's Guide.com. For further reading on Joe, a past feature of the photographer on MUG can be viewed here.
Joe's NYC was launched on February 24, 2004. He has taken a photo everyday since then, which you can view and joyfully get lost in his archives. Here is today's photo, Joe's 1071st :
Modern Art Obsession Reacts to Addition to his Collection
Posted in: press On: November 7, 2007 By:workerbee
NYC Collector and "total art fanatic by night and weekend":
"[20x200] is wonderfully accessible. Possibly the single best affordable art project we've ever seen! Every artist should do one!
On Kate Bingaman-Burt's, Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Carts #1:
"We bought one immediately, which we got [promptly] last week! It looked even better in person."
Read the full entry on MAO's blog.
Jen Profiled in The Villager: The Gallery + Art Collecting
Posted in: press On: October 19, 2007 By:workerbee
Jen speaking on 20x200 at the Apple Store Soho on Wed, Sept 26 as part of the NYC Photobloggers series, with photographers, Eliot Shepard and Joe Holmes presenting as well. [Background: Amy Ross's Manshroom.] Photo by Caitlin Oppermann.
Kelly Kingman, has written up a nice piece in The Villager on Jen, the gallery, and highlights some interesting points about art collecting. Jen discussed her vision of making art accessible and affordable and how 20x200 is not just about buying inexpensive art prints, but about becoming a collector and supporting emerging artists:
“My frustration all along has been having people come through and I see that they want to buy things but they can’t or they just weren’t ready. I really wanted to address a range of collectors — existing collectors but also to give new collectors a path to follow. It’s been really fun. [...] I don’t think that something has to be expensive to be good. It’s a very personal experience.�?“When a collector buys from me they’re having an impact on someone’s career, they’re making it possible for that person to continue to make art. There aren’t a lot of consumer behaviors that have that same kind of feel-good hit. You can really have an impact on someone’s career and also get to enjoy the art, too.�?
Read the article on The Villager website or continue after the break.
Continue reading "Jen Profiled in The Villager: The Gallery + Art Collecting" »
20x200 on Gen Art Pulse
Posted in: press On: October 15, 2007 By:20x200
Monday, October 15, 2007
Your Walls Should Talk
Excuse me sir, would you like that photo super-sized?Yes, we gab a lot about finding cool, original-yet-affordable stuff for your home. Maybe it's because we hate the idea of you living in an apartment with sparse, white walls, or even worse, some framed Van Gogh poster that your parents forced you to buy at MoMA.
Enter our new hero, Lower East Side gallery owner Jen Bekman, and her Web site, 20x200. The gist: Jen realized that there were a lot of people looking for a place to sell their art and even more people who were looking to buy it. She makes a connection between the groups by introducing two new pieces on her site every Tuesday and Wednesday: one photo and one work on paper. Each image is available in three sizes, with a price to fit every budget. Small (an edition of 200 sold at $20), medium (an edition of 20 for $200) or large (editions of two for around $2,000). They only hard part is deciding on which one you want to score.
Ridiculously affordable art that comes in every size...we think it's finally time to stop making excuses, and take down those freaking water lilies!
20x200 Mentions this Week
Posted in: press On: October 14, 2007 By:20x200
101Cookbooks:
"Bravo to Jen Bekman and the 20x200 crew for making prints available for just $20 dollars - it's such a cool idea."I have ... received my first two pieces from 20x200. Arriving were gorgeous prints by Amy Ross and Carrie Marill, respectively. Both prints are still available. [Update: Carrie Marill edition of 200 sold out.] For only $20! What are you people waiting for? Beyond the solid curating, Jen Bekman has done a wonderful job with all the identity work around 20x200. When your prints arrive it really is an impressive production.
Boing Boing features Birds of the Rockies by New York artist, Laura Levine.
Design Mom:
"It's a smart idea and a great way to bring art into your home."
20x200 on Apartment Therapy
Posted in: press On: October 9, 2007 By:youngna
Apartment Therapy: The Nursery
It is a new way to think about buying art, and we like it. 20x200 is a very elegant, Web 2.0 sort of way of bringing people who need art in contact with people who sell their art.20x200 has a blog, which gives a little more information about each piece, which is fun. And while 20x200 may be new - it just launched in September 07 - we have bookmarked this site as one to watch. We are always looking for affordable art for our home, and never so much as now that we have a child joining us, and are looking forward to seeing what 20x200 showcases next.
20x200 in Page Six Magazine
Posted in: press On: October 8, 2007 By:20x200
New York Post - Page Six Magazine
Sunday October 7, 2007, Page 59
Culture - Totally Legal Substance
Easy Access ArtGallerist Jen Bekman's new project offers prints for only $20.
Consider it a gateway to springing for those Rothkos.This belief in art for everyone has led Bekman to create 20x200, a Web site and online art gallery that launched last month as a digital extension of her Spring St. space. Through the site, the New York native sells limited editions of striking photographs and works on paper by emerging artists such as Kelly Shimoda and Youngna Park, and starting a $20 each, they go fast. The entire edition of 200 prints tends to sell out within a week, lending the work a fast-changing, addictive quality - many buyers grab two or three pieces at once. Bekman, a self-proclaimed "cultural populist," wouldn't have it any other way.
"I like to think of this as a gateway drug to collecting," she says. "buying art and actually holding it in your hands is one of life's great pleasures. But so many people are afraid to go for it. Now they can do it once a week." - Rachel Syme, Oct. 7, 2007
20x200 in ReadyMade Magazine
Posted in: press On: October 1, 2007 By:20x200
Jen Trolio has written a piece about 20x200 in the current issue of ReadyMade, a lovely print magazine "for people who like to make stuff." Be sure to pick one up the next time you peruse through the design section of the newsstands as there may be hints contained inside for editions to come. As the article is not available online, here is a transcription of the text:
INSIDE EDITION:New York gallery owner Jen Bekman is fed up with the notion that a $5,000 price tag on art is a bargain. So after nearly [five] years of running her eponymous Soho space, Bekman, a long-time supporter of emerging photographers, set out to offer aspiring collectors something a bit easier on the pocketbook. The resulting venture - an online showroom called 20x200 - offers small-scale prints, photographs, and mixed media in limited editions of 200 for $20 a pop. Bekman's business model - inspired by Tiny Showcase, another online purveyor of small batch broadsides - provides a simple way to ease into the world of high art.
"There's this weird, dark cloud over the concept of affordable art that equates affordability with mediocrity," Bekman says. "I'm trying to create a unique opportunity to purchase quality art ... at an insanely affordable price."
New work is posted twice a week. Artists showcased thus far include Kate Bingaman-Burt [...] and Tema Stauffer. Visit 20x200.com to get your own mini masterpeice. - Jen Trolio
The scan can be viewed after the jump.
20x200 on Design*Sponge
Posted in: press On: September 20, 2007 By:youngna
Influential design blog Design*Sponge calls 20x200 "A wonderful resource for affordable prints."
[Love] x 200
Posted in: press On: September 20, 2007 By:20x200
Many thanks to everyone who is expressing excitement, interest and enthusiasm during our first week of official launch. We have been working many months on this project and it's really exciting to have this out in the world and to be receiving so much great feedback.
Laurel Ptak, from I Heart Photograph, prepares to wreck havoc on her storage of loose change, and advises others to follow suit with the following war cry: "Get ready to crack your piggy banks open!"
Lisa Hunter, author of The Intrepid Art Collector, writes:
Taste Without a Trust FundI know, I know. Some art expert probably told you not to buy prints, because multiples don't appreciate as much as unique works. So what? Personally, I think prints are the BEST thing for a new collector, because they're relatively affordable and easy to resell if your tastes change later on (which they almost always do.) How affordable is "affordable"?
[...] The so-simple-it's-brilliant idea is that if prints are sold in a large-ish edition (in this case, 200), anyone with a disposable income can afford to buy them. 20x200 has already signed up artists like Brian Ulrich and Whitney Biennial alumna Zoe Strauss.
Jhayne, from Black . White . Bliss is "all about affordable art for all!" Kate and Mike are featured on her blog this week:
I just might have to pick up Kate Bingaman-Burt's I Bought All of These. Kate is actually having a show over at Jen Bekman, opening on September 21st. [Reception 6 - 8pm] p.s. Kate's also a great blogger! Be sure and visit Crap Detector and Obsessive Consumption.On Tuesday's Edition, Untitled by Mike Monteiro : "I love this, just makes me laugh. The artist statement also cracked me up: I'm really not good with words. It's tough to see the handmade-ness of it looking at a .jpg online, but the prints themselves are velvety and gorgeous - you can see the texture of the brushstrokes, and the irregularity of the borders of the letters. All that aside, it's just funny and true."
We are very flattered that BuzzFeed, whose slogan is "The web is a 24/7 popularity contest. We help the good stuff win" is following 20x200 on their Culture Buzz section:
20x200 is new online project from NY gallery owner Jen Bekman that makes great art affordable. Aspiring art collectors now have an affordable place to start: works from up-and-coming artists can be bought with a high school allowance.
Michael Sippey, VP of Products for the Professional Division at Six Apart:
Jen is one of the web's original pioneers ... It's great to see her combine two of her (many) passions -- art and the web -- into this new venture... Jen has a great eye, and the work that's already up is fantastic. If you've never bought art before, maybe this is the way for you to get into collecting.
Graphic Design Bar observes that 20x200 is: "where art lovers can be art collectors, even on minuscule budgets...a great opportunity to start building your own collection or just acquire original art at affordable prices—check it out!"
Steel City Modern: "I love the idea, especially for residents of smaller cities where art opportunities may be somewhat limited."
OhMyThatsAwesome.com: "To the people selling their plywood collages for thousands of dollars, You're Impossible."
Thank you to the following sites, among many others, for mentioning 20x200 this week:
Design Milk, Design Observer, Gentle Graffiti, Spramp, and Laughing Squid.
20x200 on Apartment Therapy
Posted in: press On: September 19, 2007 By:20x200
Art for everyone.Proprietor of a small New York gallery, Jen Bekman's launched 20x200 to make art accessible to everyone. What does that mean? It means large editions of low-priced prints. It means if you have access to the Internet, and $20, you can have a work by an emerging artist. It means no more art from IKEA hanging on your walls. No more blank walls. No more excuses.
The Sneak Peak is Over...And We're Off!
Posted in: press On: September 15, 2007 By:20x200
Hello art lovers and welcome! My name is Mike and I will be assisting here on the blog, helping to fill you in on updates and exciting tidbits as well as all the latest with artists and new editions.
Since Jen announced the launch of 20x200 on Personism back in April, we have all been anxiously awaiting the reveal of her latest project. A lot of buzz has followed and it's fantastic that we are finally here.
I had the chance to attend a status meeting midway during the process with Jen and the rest of the 20x200 team, and sat in a trance as they engaged in a rapid spitfire of debate over a slew of technical, aesthetic and logistical issues. You can find a nice rendition of the development and creation process from chief orchestrator extraordinaire, Raul: here.
Fast-forward a couple of months later, and we have live editions up-and-running, with many admirers already gushing over the work available for purchase. (Gallery Hopper and artist Matthew Langley are pining for Tema Stuaffer, and Amy Stein has quickly grabbed an Amy Ross print for herself, while others are trying their best not to succumb to the temptation for as long as they can.)
A recapitulation of this week's 20x200 mentions:
Todd Walker of Gallery Hopper:
"Whatever reservations I have about the value of 20X200 to the participating artists and photographers, from a purely materialistic impulse, it's hard to pass up a 16"x20" Tema Stauffer print for $200."
Melissa Lyttle from APhotoADay.org has this to say about Jen and 20x200:
I like that she's trying to make art affordable as well as trying to get the public to support emerging artists. It's a win-win.
It will be interesting to see how hungry the masses are for art in large editions at low prices, but I know I will keep coming back for more.The big Wall Street collectors may be hurting these days, but that shouldn't stop us hoi polloi from getting into the game and start building our own collections.
Notcot.org, the community of design lovers and the congnescenti's guide to instantaneous fixes on art, technology, and products, loves 20x200 and Amy Ross. Danconnortown says that 20x200 makes available: "Great art at great prices."
UnBeige's Alissa Walker gives praise to Jen and finds meaning in her life:
If there's one person who keeps us going every day when we're confronted with this crusty old keyboard and an empty screen, it's UnBeige founder Jen Bekman. Because if this whole blogging thing doesn't work out, we think, hey, maybe we'll go on to run a famous gallery in New York. And maybe we'll start a new affordable art experiment like 20x200, which just launched in semi-super-secret mode with artists like Kate Bingaman-Burt. And maybe it'll get covered in magazines like Dwell and GOOD.Although, we wonder, if we did all those things, would Bekman realize that we're blatantly ripping her off?
Still...to dream.
October's Dwell Magazine
Posted in: press On: September 11, 2007 By:20x200
20x200 is featured in the October issue of Dwell, with work by Kate Bingaman-Burt and Youngna Park appearing in the spread.
She's not your average pusher, but gallerist Jen Bekman intends 20x200 to be a gateway drug to the art market.As a challenge to the hoity-toity art-buying world, Jen Bekman's newest venture presents prints by mostly emerging artists in limited editions of 200 for $20 each, or 20 for $200 each. By melding the inclusiveness of internet commerce and nonprohibitive prices with the exclusivity of a curator acting as quality control, Bekman ensures that new collectors can be confident that the "buy" button will not lead to clicker's remorse. Whether it's an alternative to mass production or an alternative to high art, Bekman realizes that $100 is still a considerable chunk of change to most people.
Kate Bingaman-Burt's I Bought All of These
Youngna Park's Brooklyn Morning
July's STEP Magazine
Posted in: press On: July 21, 2007 By:alice
Alissa Walker of Unbeige dotes on 20x200, Hey, Hot Shot! and overall JB goodness in a little piece dubbed Art, Afforded in the July/August issue of STEP Magazine.
Josh Spear Takes a Sneek Peak at 20x200
Posted in: press On: June 13, 2007 By:alice
The interview further illustrates my theory that Jen is one of the nicest, most open people I’ve ever encountered; it examines the fundemental differences between 20x200 and websites based on the same aesthetic (TinyShowcase, pretty:darn:swell), her plans for the project and the state of the art-buying world in general. 20x200 launches July 27, and the lineup so far is pretty damn sweet — artists having already signed on include Youngna Park, Eliot Shepard, Zoe Strauss and Brian Ulrich — and we’ll be sure to update you with news as it emerges.
Murketing's Q+A
Posted in: press On: June 12, 2007 By:alice
Rob Walker [who writes the New York Times Magazine column Consumed] posts a Q+A between him and JB on his blog Murketing.
Jen Bekman 20X200: The Q&A
"Q: I noticed in the comments to your announcement somebody said something like, “This is great, an alternative to Target/Ikea blahness. Is this project a more exclusive alternative to mass-ness, or a more inclusive alternative to the rarefied high art world?A: It’s both really, which is why it’s so exciting to me. It’s radically different than typical artworld fare because the work is so inexpensive and the editions are big by normal standards, but how can an edition of 200 of anything be mass market? 20×200 is bigger in scale than most fine art editions, but I’m not selling posters at the Met."
Continue reading the interview here.
Design Observer makes an early nod to 20x200
Posted in: press On: April 20, 2007 By:alice
Michel Bierut observes a little something called 20x200:
Observed: Art for Everyone"Jen Bekman introduces 20/200: fine art prints in editions of 200, two a week, available for $20 each. Art for everyone. [MB]"
April's GOOD Magazine
Posted in: press On: April 15, 2007 By:alice
Jen Bekman on Art Collecting in GOOD Magazine
"If you’re a lover of art, or simply want to taste the thrill of collecting (and it is indeed thrilling), the internet offers a wide array of opportunities to acquire all kinds of excellent pieces, often at surprisingly affordable prices."
Read the full article here.