Other | Covington Art

I often am asked what is a Giclee.

A Giclee (zhee – CLAY) is a high-end reproduction of an original piece of art. It is superior to other reproduction methods because it is printed on fine archival paper and preserves the intensity and depth of the original colors. It also requires specialty equipment to photograph and produce a giclee, which means it is not a simple or inexpensive process. However, a glclee reproduction can be purchased for substantially less than an original oil.

For all of my career, I have sold only original works. However, not everybody can afford originals. Even more so in this economy. Some artists snub giclees as not rising to the level of ”real” art. But as an artist, I want art to be accessible to everybody. It is this tension among quality and affordability and integrity that has informed by decision.

Because giclee reproductions preserve the integrity and beauty of the original piece, and because I want to ensure that fine art is available to everybody who is passionate about it, I have decided to foray into giclees.

I only have a couple of giclees available at this time. But I am excited for the future.

Available giclee reproductions:

Outer Banks (2009)

I am a Princess (2009)

Paper dolls inspired an entire series of paintings.

My sister Renee and I attended the Art Basel show in Miami. Renee paused before her favorite piece at the show, which featured a small abstract cut out. Remembering our childhood fun, suggested that I incorporate paper dolls into my work.

I began tentatively, with a simple female figure that I would trace, paste on, and layer into my work. The added texture and complexity engaged me, and soon I was branching out into paper dolls of all sizes and shapes. I painted a series of canvases featuring 1950′s paper dolls. I tucked paper rabbits and dogs into a giant piece reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

And then I discovered Topsey. Created in 1863, Topsey was the first African American paper doll. A character taken from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the paper Topsey wore tattered clothes and raggedy shoes. Her caucasian counterpart wore a flowing dress and bonnet. Unfortunately, Topsey was about the only black paper doll available at the time.

But to me, she was beautiful. And so I began painting, and Topsey emerged again and again from my brushes.

Now that the canvases are complete, I have been able to step back and consider the greater implications of this paper doll. Clearly, Topsey is emblematic of the narrow-minded foolishness of the period. But Topsey is unsettling also because she flags the insidious impact of these seemingly inoculous toys. What of the African American children who had to no paper dolls to play with — other than this slave in tattered clothing – that looked like them? How did the silent messages regarding beauty and social class affect their self-esteem?

Scholar Arabella Grayson decided to find out. She collected and researched black paper dolls ranging from Topsey to Aunt Jemima and Sambo to the newer “corrected” paper dolls, and she confirmed the adverse affect of these negative, sterotypical pop culture images on African American children. Her work, 200 Years of Black Paper Dolls, has been exhibited at the Smithsonian.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/two-hundred-years-of-black-paper-dolls,1128032.html#editorial-review

Who could have anticipated the complexity of paper dolls and their role as social constructs? As for Topsey, “I am a Princess,” is one of my favorite pieces. She now wears a sparkly dress and crown.

To Giclee or Not to Giclee?

Topsey: Paper Dolls as Social Constructs

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