CasaSugar

Nice and New: Orb 5 by Carlo Van de Roer

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:00:09 -0700

You may have heard of 20x200, an online retailer of limited-edition prints at affordable prices ranging from $20 to $200 (based on size), begun by New York gallerist Jen Bekman. The site, which sells works by both up-and-coming and established artists, gives nearly everyone the ability to afford good art. For that in itself, they deserve a pat on the back. Now, with new prints by Carlo Van de Roer, 20x200 is taking its benevolence to the next level. Van de Roer's Orb 5 (Long Island, NY) is offered as a new kind of benefit edition. All the profits from sales of the print return directly to Van de Roer, to fund his critically acclaimed (and quite expensive) Portrait Machine Project. Orb 5 is available as an 11-by-14, 16-by-20, or 24-by-30 archival pigment print. It's beautiful, don't you think? If you like this one, you'll also like Orb 3, which pairs wonderfully with this print.

Gifted: Art For Newlyweds

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:30:09 -0700

Welcome to my new feature, Gifted, where I suggest home- and garden-related gifts that are chic, economical, and lovely. For my first post, I was inspired by my need to buy a present for some friends who just tied the knot. If you, too, need to purchase a present for some newlywed friends, consider buying them a piece of art. This is the kind of gift that you should probably consider only if you know their taste; if not, it might be best to stick to the registry. However, if you know them fairly well, you can probably pick out a piece of art that the couple will adore. I'm a fan of the site 20x200, which offers affordable, high-quality prints from emerging artists at low prices. This piece, from artist Linzie Hunter, seems like a cute, unsentimental, yet sincere way of telling the newlyweds "Congratulations on finding each other!" With some matting and a simple black frame, this is a gift that will look lovely on any wall in your friends' new shared home.

Prints start at $20, but hurry - there are only 40 left. You can get yours here.

Give the Gift of Art: Untitled, Thrift 2006, by Brian Ulrich

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:15:19 -0800

As a furniture enthusiast, as well as an avid flea marketer, I am loving Untitled, Thrift 2006 (0635), by Brian Ulrich, available on the site 20x200. This digital-c print has sold out of the larger available print sizes, but there are still some 10-x-8-inch prints available for $20 each. Throw an Ikea Ribba frame around one of these and you have a smart, sophisticated holiday present for all of those interior decorating junkies in your life.

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Give the Gift of Art: Polly, by Christina Muraczewski

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:34:09 -0800

I love this bird print from Jen Bekman's 20x200 gallery. An archival pigment print, Polly, by Christina Muraczewski ($20), was originally created with acrylic marker and glitter on canvas. While the print itself is perfect for the holidays (there's just something so cozy and wintry about birds in branches), this would look lovely all year round with a thoughtful matting and frame. I've ordered prints from 20x200 before, so I can personally vouch for their quality. Hurry though: There were only 200 of this size printed and fewer than 100 remain!

Great Art Online: 20x200

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:30:08 -0700

Getting your art collection started is often limited by your pocketbook. The only way I could afford my first large art purchase was because I bartered an artist friend for it. So what to do if you're art-friend-free and low on the benjamins? Why, turn to the internet, of course. One site that I'm in love with is 20x200.

To find out more, just read more

20x200 doesn't offer a ton of images that might overwhelm you. Instead, the site introduces one photo and one work on paper each week. Each of these images is available in three sizes.The smallest size is reprinted in the largest batch, at 200 prints, and sold at the lowest price – $20. (That's where the site's name comes from, by the way.) 20x200 also offers two larger sizes at 2 larger prices, for the more cash-heavy collector.

Jen Bekman, who started the art site, also has a small art gallery on the Lower East Side, which she opened five years ago to support emerging artists and collectors. In the April issue of Good magazine, she writes

"As we see it, there are a lot of people out there who want to sell their art and a lot of people who'd like to buy it. They just have a hard time finding each other. The internet is the perfect place to bring those people together, and we're exactly the right people to make it happen. We're passionate about art and the internet at 20x200. We're really excited about creating a place where almost any art lover can be an art collector."

Source and Source

Photographer to Watch: Birthe Piontek

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:15:00 -0800

Birthe Piontek's images enchant me. I love the intersections of humanity and nature, which often meld and clash in unexpected ways. Whether it's a car parked in a grove of trees or a decrepit house falling into disrepair in a forest, there is something both comforting and fantastical about her photographs.

Born and raised in Germany, Birthe studied communication design and photography at the University of Essen where she received an MA in 2004. During her time at University, she started working as a freelance photographer for various clients and magazines. To get the experience of living and working in another country she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2005. Since then her work has been exhibited internationally, and featured in publications and magazines including the New York Times Magazine and the Globe and Mail, among others. Her work has been recognized a number of times, and most recently was honored with the Santa Fe Juror's Choice Award in 2007. One of her pieces from the "Sub Rosa" series is currently for sale at 20x200, which you can purchase here. Take a look at the gallery to see some of her lovely photographs.

View 21 Photos ›

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:37:45 -0700

This week's Casa Craving Challenge asks you to design a room of your choice around this preppy striped Danish bench.
Our ferm LIVING wallpaper contest is running till the 29th of October, but you might want to get your photos in ASAP!
Speaking of which, check out the first featured entry from the ferm contest.
Have I gone contest crazy? Because I'm also giving away a Nikki McClure print.
Have you tried the Less or More game? Bet you don't know which one is more expensive!
If you're looking for a good resource for online art, you can't go wrong with Jen Bekman's 20x200.
Live in LA? Got spare time this weekend? Then get down to the green home tour.
I really want to know: Which room is your personal haven?
This week you and I both had rather mixed feelings about the orchid chair.