decay # 31 ~ another good folio question
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 08:42AM 
Blueberries and radish • click to embiggenPlease keep those cards and letters coming with questions and/or suggestions about the Folio project.
TJ Avery asked. "Can you post some guidlines for folio creation? I.e. how big, how many photos, etc.? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty new at this and I'm not entirely clear what a folio is."
No sooner had TJ asked the question than he supplied a really good answer - a piece by Brooks Jensen, What is a "Folio"?
Jensen's Wakarimasen folio is make up 16 prints/pictures with a title sheet, intro sheet, and a colophon (a kind of "credits" info normally found at the back of a book / folio) sheet. His images are approx. 7×9" printed on approx. 8×10" paper. The prints are made to archival standards - pigmented inks on acid-free paper. His folio case uses a few "fancy" touches - embossing and die-cut - which add a bit of "class" to the thing (nice, but hardly necessary).
Jensen sells the folio for $145 US.
Jensen also signs and numbers his folios by printing edition. This means that, like a book, there maybe a number of "editions" - 1st printing, 2nd printing, and so on. He reserves the right to do so for a number of reasons; new printing technologies may offer improved print quality or he may eventually have a different printing "interpretation" that warrants a new edition.
With the method of numbering that he employs, he is essentially offering open edition folios - although each folio and edition are numbered, there may be an unlimited number of editions issued. This promiscuous idea runs contrary to the established gallery system which places high value (read - $$$$$$$$$$ value) on very limited editions - typically, 5-10 prints.
Jensen's open edition approach is the same as mine when it comes to folios - keep on printing and selling them, even after the cows come home and the sun goes down (and hell freezes over). After all, that's the point of one of the medium's unique and defining characteristics - an unlimited number of originals.
All of that said, keep in mind that all of the folio variables mentioned above (and any other you can think of) are up to the discretion of the individual artist. Print size, paper type, printing method, type of folio case, to sign and number (or not), limited edition / open edition, and price are all up to you.
The most important thing is to just do it.
Reader Comments (1)
Thanks, Mark. I like the open-ended approach. Less rules/guidelines lets us be more creative and unique with our folio offerings.