These prints are made when an artist works closely with the master printer to produce a specified number of silk screen prints, or serigraphs, from the original painting.
Martin Sharp chose a favourite painting - PENTECOST - to be hand printed by Stephen Lawson as a limited edition screenprint. This printing created an edition of 80 replicas of Martin’s original painting.
Once the eighty prints are completed, the artist checks each print and when satisfied with the quality, signs his name upon it. Traditionally pencil is used for the signing and the signature is placed on the right hand side, with the title in the centre and the edition number on the left, all below the image.
This is then entered into a book of records along with the purchaser’s name and the date.
Some collectors specify which number they would like in the edition, for example 12, perhaps a birth date or a number of personal significance.
The edition number is written 12 / 80 which identifies this print’s number in the edition and the number of serigraphs that make up the edition. In this case an edition of eighty and this particular print has been allocated the number 12.
All numbers are equal in terms of resale value. In other words, number 12 would command an equal price value as number 69 when sold or resold on the secondary or auction market.
No two numbers are the same or repeated, each is therefore unique in identifying that specific serigraph.
Sometimes the artist will draw or paint upon the printed image during the signing. This is typical of the artistic process and adds flavour and character to the serigraph reinforcing the involvement of the human hand in the creation of the edition.
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