CeeBee

I need something to fill my oh-so-blank walls at home. Any ideas where i can go to pick up some big prints and stuff fairly cheap?

Home centre is pretty crap, as are the likes of @home. Any other ideas? Somebody has mentioned dragonmart to me before.

Welivehere

If you take decent photos there is a place at Festival city that will put you pics onto canavas pretty much whataever size you want....

kittycat1

Hi Ceebee,

I've been having the same problem, I haven't been able to find anything appealing here so ordered some art stuff in online. I wouldn't bother with Dragonmart, I haven't seen anything there worth hanging in a toilet let alone in any other room in the house. Let me know if you find anywhere as I'd be very interested.

Kittycat xxx

Bahtatboy

Now, you gotta take this in the context of "but what is art?", OK? Ikea does decent prints.

kittycat1

oo Bahtatboy - what a question!

Wiki says However in the context we are discussing as in wall art (Medium could be anything from photography, screen prints, fine art, sculpture etc) it means something visually pleasing. Which for some people may mean Ikea commercial crap that people with a lack of creativity believe is modern and stylish and 'art' but is in fact overly reproduced rubbish (in my opinion). For me art should immote a feeling, whether that be a good feeling or make you sad, or just make you view the world slightly differently, the art I have in my own home I expect to motivate me and make me feel good. I am incredibly picky about what images I have in my own home and ikea does not feature anywhere in that!

(Yes I am an Ikea snob)

Kittycat x

Bahtatboy

Yup, knew I was leading with my chin there.

Rather than the definition of art, I was hinting at one man's chicken being another man's poisson. Which is what you sort of said, too. I like Jack Vettriano's work, and the one I have hanging over the fireplace in Ilkley I bought at Ikea. No shame in that, imho. However, I utterly reject the "Oh, it can't be art because its too commercial" stance--you think the world's great painters didn't do what they did to put food on their table? Vettriano's Bluebird paintings sold at Sotheby's for 1 million quid--sort of moves him out of the "purely commercial" into the "his works sells for a million therefore he must be a proper artist", thereby defeating the whole "commercial" argument.

And as for "I don't have Ikea in my house"--that really is the worst kind of snobbery. You don't live in Dubai by any chance, do you?

kittycat1

Ha - Bahtatboy- I know you are fishing but can't resist biting!

I agree I am an art snob- I wouldn't have ikea art in my house in the UK
either ( not a Dubai thing) and actually think it is more shameful to do so there as you have so much choice of 'genuine' original art. My issue with Ikea is that you don't have to think, its put there straight in front of you, nice and easy for you to pick up, I don't think many people shop in Ikea for wall art and actually look at the pictures in front of them, they just think " that'll do" whereas art should be so much more than that, you just have to go out and find pieces that evoke a reaction in you. Just because a piece is by a famous artist it doesn't mean it is right for you, art is soo personal whereas I think Joe Public fail to see that, they just buy it because it is easy and they know no better

I don't have anything against artists who sell multiple prints of their work- of course they have to earn a living but Ikea and the like take the soul out of art in my opinion. Mass production at its worst.

xxx

Bahtatboy

After about 6 consecutive holidays of miserable attempts at fishing, we (the family was out last week) caught one whopping Hammour, two smaller ones, and two Barracudas (although my policeman buddy said they're gifs (?)). And now this one!

Actually I agree more or less--art is personal, and if you're bothered you should take time in choosing. But its not for us to judge those who can't be bothered--we all have different priorities in life, and for many "art" is what they buy at Ikea. Personally, I think Vettriano's work is art, and good art at that--so a thumb's up to Ikea for allowing me to buy it easily and cheaply. I can't see any rational argument against that. All the other stuff hanging on my walls at home has been chosen carefully (as was the Vettriano--I just happened to buy it at Ikea): most of it is deeply personal, as is the Vettriano.

How about this (and let's assume we agree that Vettriano produces "art"): if Ikea didn't sell it, there'd be a huge number of people deprived of knowledge of and access to his art, but because they do sell it those people have richer lives by being exposed to his art. And even if they don't like it or buy it, they've seen it and thereby have another reference point for assessing other art. That's gotta be a positive, surely.

BTW, my rattan lounges looked damned good in my majlis.

Bahtatboy

And I've just searched on Dubizzle--there are 2 Vettrianos for sale at 4,000 AED. (Far too much for prints, far too little for originals--gotta be joking.)

If you liked Vettriano, would you buy them from an individual, or are they indelibly tainted by also being sold at Ikea?

kittycat1

Yes Ikea is doing the world a favour- bringing art to the masses...

And I guess you are right that some people just really aren't that bothered or educated in art which is a shame, most art galleries in London are free to visit but very few UK residents take advantage of that, maybe if they did they would look outside of Ikea.

Bahtatboy

I should think CeeBee's well and truly hacked off with this. Hope he likes Ikea

Alexa

Beauty, as art, are in the eye of the beholder. I do not like to label art. Ikea prints? Why not? If you like them and it makes you happy to look at them. Nothing wrong with that. I hate anything like Kandinsky et al, repulses me actually.
Others like it, each to their own.
Now, Dragonmart! Fabulous place to find bits and bobs to produce your own , inexpensive if you wish , art.
Or go to my FB, all my stuff is on there.

CeeBee

Nope, not hacked off...actually slightly intrigued.

I'm into weird kinda stuff really. I was about to get some of these shipped a while back until the shipping costs completely put me off.

http://img.allposters.com/6/LRG/17/1741/H6X3D00Z.jpg

http://img.allposters.com/6/LRG/20/2006/KXU6D00Z.jpg

I'd also have liked to get a good print of 'Nighthawks' by Edward Hopper.

Unfortunately the States / UK is the only place to get em from and shipping often gets a bit crazy.

kittycat1

Hi Ceebee,

I'm actually back in the UK for the next two weeks, if you want to order anything that would fit in a suitcase then you are welcome to order them and send them to my folks house. PM me if you want the address details- I fly back on the 1st May so would need them delivered before them.

Kittycat
x

PS I love the vintage advertising posters

Welivehere

Have you looked into Aramex Shop & Ship service....