The rule to the number of casts or copies in any sculpture edition is simple. There is no rule, only loose conventions.
The number of artist’s proofs and subsequent editions of the original is almost entirely at the discretion and integrity of the sculptor. Of these two values, integrity is by far the greater, to both the artist and the buyer or collector.
At its simplest sculpture is no more or less than a commodity to be bought and sold according to the dictates of a ‘market’. The same, or similar, economic forces that govern any other commodity transaction apply: supply versus demand, scarcity versus abundance, quality versus quantity.
Sculpture, a uniquely human construct
Art, however — with sculpture as one of its most imposing branches, — isn’t simple. It’s a complex, uniquely human construct of emotion, imagination, philosophy, and communication. The ability to create an object capable of invoking feelings of beauty, wonder, intrigue, and hundreds of other sentiments, is rare.
So when a sculptor succeeds in the quest, the temptation to financially exploit that triumph many times over can be powerful.
Think of a painted masterpiece like the Mona Lisa. Few of us will see the original in a lifetime, but we’re all familiar with it as a reproduction — in books, magazines, posters, post cards, and more.
None has any value other than price of the print itself — a few dollars at most compared to the inestimable worth of Leonardo da Vinci’s original magnum opus. And this is where sculpture differs.
Three-way approach to marketing sculpture
There is, and can only ever be, one Mona Lisa. On the other hand, the very nature of cast sculpture — making a mould from which virtually unlimited numbers of exact replicas can be produced — means sculptors must approach their market in one of three ways:
1. They can rely on their reputation and sales record to produce only exclusive art: one-off works that sell for a premium
2. They can produce limited editions which, once sold, can never be repeated
3. They can produce unlimited editions but run the real risk of flooding the market with non-exclusive products commanding only commodity prices.
I work with options one and two, and never with option three. It means that when an exclusive piece is completed, or a limited edition sells out, its value will hold. My commitment in option one is that no other piece like yours has been made, or will ever be made again. And in option two, that only the stated number of versions exists, and I’ve destroyed the mould.
Artist’s proofs
I also create up to four artist’s proofs. These give you as the buyer, collector, or commissioner of the work, and me as the artist, creative choices for how the finished piece will please us best. They’re sculptures in their own right, marked accordingly, and have a market value if I choose to sell them.
I have a sliding scale of edition numbers based on the size of the sculpture. I make these guidelines freely available to buyers, collectors, and people interested in commissioning a special piece.
The guidelines are:
– Sculptures of between XX and YY in dimension have a production run of no more than 25 sequentially numbered editions
– Works between YY and 200cm, no more than 15 editions
– Sculptures between 201cm and 350cm, no more than 10 editions
– Works greater than 351cm, no more than seven editions
– Special commissions outside these criteria are priced by negotiation.
These guidelines should help you gain a broad understanding of how sculpture editions work on a spectrum of diminishing exclusivity. Bear in mind that they are not connected to price, which depends on a complex set of variables: the artist’s reputation, time, design complexity, type of materials, and degree of difficulty in the manufacturing process, and of course, scarcity.
call Todd Stuart on +61 4 5151 8865, or visit mainartery.art if you would like to explore your options further, or click on this link Sculpture as investment: gold, or just heavy metal?
