16th September 2008 - by Robert Benson
The Art Behind the Music
An Interview With Classic Rock Art Curator Michael Goldstein of
RockPoPGallery
Rock and roll has been part of our pop culture for many decades
and, so too has pop/rock memorabilia and art associated with
it. Many classic album covers were created to not only sell
music, but the concepts and images that were often the driving
forces behind the music as well.
A business that is keeping this ideal alive is
www.RockPoPGallery.com, a site that is dedicated to bringing
customers the best selection of limited-edition rock and pop
music related art prints, photography and related collectibles
on the market today.
I spoke with curator and owner Michael Goldstein of
RockPoPGallery.com about his business and why it is so
important to preserve these pieces of audio history. Let's
learn more about the man behind the scenes:
RockPoPGallery.com was founded in 2005 in Huntington, NY by
Michael, a long-time collector of music related artwork, as
Michael explains:
"It was my personal collection (and my display of it in my
offices at the TV network I worked at) that got me into the
business in the first place."
And his interest in the art of the music was apparent at an
early age, as Michael details:
"My father was a cartoonist/caricaturist and, while I only had
20% of his natural ability, I did a lot of drawing. I'd done a
reproduction of one of Roger Dean's "Flying Machines" on a wall
in the basement of the house I grew up in, and that was the
first time that I really sat down and took a look at the
artistry that went into these covers. Growing up during the
heyday of record cover art- from the Beatles to the Rolling
Stones, from Iron Butterfly, the Electric Prunes and early
Black Sabbath to King Crimson, Yes, Frank Zappa and The
Mothers, and the Mouse/Kelly's works- all of those images
ingrained in my psyche. Later on, when I got into cartoon
animation and then into TV/Web production, I had a chance to
work with some of the illustrators and photographers whose
works I'd admired while growing up; and seeing how many of the
still 'had to work for a living' made me mad/curious as to why
these works of art and most of the people who'd made them were,
in my opinion, seen as outsiders by the fine art establishment.
I had to do something about that. These images were all
expressions of the collaboration between musical artists, art
directors, illustrators and photographers, and many of these
images have certainly survived the 'test of time' even better
than some of the music they accompanied! The artwork is about
emotional connections and different forms of inspirations
(sometimes chemical) and I think that is why my visitors enjoy
the album art-related Cover Stories I write, as they're all
about the art and the artists."
Not knowing much about fine art, I asked Michael about the
specifics of the business, some rather obvious, and some that
needed some clarification. Here are some of the questions I was
curious about:
What is a print?
"To put it simply, unlike a painting, prints are made by
drawing not on paper or canvas, but on a surface such as stone
or a metal plate, from which the image can then be printed a
number of times," explained Michael. "The surface is inked, a
sheet of paper is then placed over it and the two are run
through a press. The total number of prints that are pulled is
decided by the artist and the publisher beforehand and this is
called an "edition". Each impression in the edition is signed
and numbered (and sometimes embellished otherwise) by the
artist. Once the edition is completed, the original plate or
stone is either defaced or destroyed so that no more can be
made."
"Original prints are often referred to by the technique that
was used to produce them, such as lithography, silk-screening
and the newest (and somewhat controversial) method ? digital
printing (or Giclee'). I explain these techniques in detail on
the website."
I asked Michael, how do I know what I'm buying is an
original?
"In almost all circumstances, RockPoPGallery buys its inventory
from only one of three sources ? either directly from the
artist, directly from the artist's publisher, or at auction
from auction companies that can authenticate the "provenance"
(the documented history of a work of art from its production to
the present) of a work of art," stated Michael. "While many
items come from these sources with complete documentation, this
is not the case with all works and so we guarantee originality,
based on our knowledge, provenance and the above checks. As an
art lover, collector and a gallery owner I would not consider
buying or selling a work of art that I am not 100% sure about.
Upon request, RockPoPGallery will provide you with a
Certificate of Authenticity, which will include a copy of the
provenance provided from our sources. You can then go visit the
web sites of the artists/publishers, and if the description of
the print matches theirs in every detail, then there is a very
good chance it is original."
What determines the market price of a particular print?
"The international art market decides the price, based on the
principles of supply and demand, basic economics really,"
Michael explained. "Original prints may exist in multiples of
more than one, which can account for a difference of thousands
of dollars between the price of a mass-produced poster, an
unsigned 'open edition' print and a signed and numbered
limited-edition print. If a certain print is in demand and the
supply is no longer there, the price will go up. However, price
also very much depends on the condition of the print. Works on
paper are extremely delicate and can easily be damaged by
mishandling, poor framing, exposure to strong light and, of
course, the passage of time. Prints in good condition are more
sought after by collectors and therefore their prices are
higher. And finally, some prints have been signed by both the
artist/photographer and the musical act that the cover was done
for, such as the Jimmy Page-signed Led Zeppelin IV prints, the
David Bowie-signed Ziggy Stardust prints, and the Tony
Iommi-signed Technical Ecstasy prints we sell. I have much more
detailed information on the website."
What is the most expensive piece you sell, or conversely, maybe
the most interesting item you have owned or sold.
"This really changes day-to-day and expensive is a relative
term," said Michael. "Compare to a Warhol or a Lichtenstein or
a Haring- all of whom did record covers- none of my images are
expensive. The highest-priced items tend to be the pieces where
the editions are nearly sold out- like the Led Zeppelin 4 cover
art signed by Jimmy Page, Karl Ferris' photos for the covers of
"Are You Experienced?" and "Electric Ladyland," Entwistle's
"Who by Numbers", etc. As far as the most interesting item I
have sold, well the one with the most personal story must have
been my copy of Roger Dean's "Magician's Birthday." I bought
one for my personal collection at a very good price and then
was offered a lot of money to sell it, which I did; not knowing
how much I really wanted to keep it. To punish myself and to
let me look at it everyday, I had a section of it tattooed on
my right arm!"
I enjoyed my conversation with Michael and have certainly
learned valuable information about the fine art that is
available for rock and roll fans. I think what impressed me the
most about conversation was Michael's commitment and passion
for what he does, certainly intangible qualities that you
cannot place a value on.
Article Source:
http://www.megamusicsite.com
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