Art, for cheap

I spent yesterday all in a flurry over 20x200, a website from New York that sells limited edition prints for very reasonable prices: editions of 200 (8x10) for $20; editions of 50 (11x14) for $50; and various larger sizes for various higher prices. At first I wanted to buy everything, but I've since calmed down and placed a modest order for three prints today. Tangentially, I wonder why my first urge is to buy art that interests me. Shouldn't viewing it, linking to it, knowing it exists out there in the world be enough? Why commodify it, why own it? Luckily, 20x200 artist William Powhida has some answers:



Good points all. I'm just excited to cover the off-white walls of my apartment with something other than cut-outs from art-themed calendars, crap paintings I did myself, scarves hanging from those 10,000 Villages wooden fabric hanger things, a scary early-70s wood face carving my parents got in New Zealand and blackmailed me into rescuing from their basement, and some university degrees.

Anyway, here's a couple of prints I like but didn't buy (yet):


Photographer's Dilemma by Tatsuro Kiuchi


Untitled #10 by Kent Rogowski