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A SeQueSTRaTioN PiCTuRe CaPSuLe (How did we get here?)...
VISUAL COMBAT ART PRINTS: AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
For some time now I have been asked by many of you if I would produce signed print editions of some of my works. I have been reluctant to do so unless I could produce something of a quality that would look exceptional displayed on a wall as well as meeting the expectations of collectors. By this I mean expectations in terms of coloring, print resolution texture and paper stock.
As usual, I am learning that there is more to the exercise than meets the eye.
It is not as simple as printing images off a computer screen or walking to a photo processing kiosk. What looks good on a computer will not necessarily look good coming out of a printer, particularly of the consumer variety.
It has taken a while, but I have finally found an excellent fine art printer to collaborate with. He is not a simple photo printer. He is an artist and understands how to maximize aesthetic impact for the audience.
His clients are professional photographers and artists. He operates with state of the art digital printing equipment made in Germany.
I won't go into the details, but there is a big difference when you are working with someone who is primarily interested in optimizing quality as opposed to simply moving product. This is not a simple "here print this" exercise. We have a discussion, he gets the vibe, runs test strips for me to preview and only after we are both happy will we print. Fortuitously, he also gets what the Visual Combat and the content is about!
I have selected two initial prints to kick-off Visual Combat Art Prints: "The PhD Quack" and "Fiat Fornicatio." The two images work well together since they both relate to the subject of fiat quackery, deficits and banksterism. One of the images is actually embedded in the other. You can preview them both below. But let me tell you, the screen pictures do not do them justice. The coloring is vibrant and literally jumps of the page.
These two look good, they are satirical and they are full of relevant historical context.
In short they are fine examples of "Visual Combat."
I am pricing these at US $150 a piece, inclusive of certified air post in a hard poster shipping tube. Each print will be signed by WilliamBanzai7 and numbered by order of sale with a personal note attached and the amount of the US National Debt as of the date of shipment. If you prefer alternative shipping arrangements the cost will be passed through. The size is roughly 18/24 inches. The medium is pigmented ink on acid free watercolor paper, archivability 100 years+.
As many of you know, I have been doing Visual Combat on a daily basis for three years now. I have done so tirelessly without any profit motivation. The T-Shirts and mugs have really been primarily a courtesy for those of you who have made requests and I will continue to take your requests for this purpose.
Overall, it has been an important learning experience for me, not only in the sense of developing and fine tuning an artistic style, but also learning how to be attentive to an audience that I appreciate not only for its encouragement, but its intelligence and idea sharing as well. We've come a long way and I have plenty of ideas for expanding into new frontiers, the long awaited coffee table book collaboration with Limerick King being just one example.
However, I have reached the proverbial crossroads. If I am to continue with what I have been doing (and believe me, I love doing it) I will need your collective support. I have been reluctant to solicit support in the form of donations and digital tips. I'm not passing judgement on others who do so. It is just not my personal style. I would rather produce something of high quality that I can give to you in return. Something that you can enjoy hanging on your walls and hopefully will accrete in value and significance over time.
If you are interested in purchasing one or both prints, please contact me at this special email address: banzai7institute@gmail.com for ordering and payment instructions. Please include the quantity ordered and postal shipping address. Naturally, all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.
If you have a special print request for any other Banzai7 work please do not hesitate to ask. There are so many images that I have done and everyone has their own favorites.
If anyone wants to reach me for purposes other than purchases the best method is here, via twitter: @williambanzai7 or on my Flickr account.
As always, I appreciate the continued support of each and everyone of you and look forward to continuing together long into the future.
Yours sincerely,
WilliamBanzai7
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Your welcome.
Book smart is the best way to avoid indoctrination.
Take it from another fringe low brow Zero Hedge moron! ;-)
WB, I sent you an e-mail with a promise to order a copy of each of your two first prints. Thanks so much for the fine work you do. You'll have earned every penny of your newly generated wealth! Such good fortune could not have happened to a better fellow, in my opinion.
Thank you very much. I have structured the pricing in a way the fairly spreads the benefit between me, the printer and the buyers. I'm not looking to get rich with this. Just enough to say this endeavor is paying for itself so to speak.
Hey WB, have you seen the "No More Hesitation" Targets? Do you think you could make us some with bankers and DHS? UN?
I'll check it out.
WB, I'd like if you dabbled from time to time outside of printed media, into video or even into public-space art.
By the way, how will it feel to have your book in the Library of Congress, or even your local library?
I would love to get into animation, but I will need someone to execute my ideas since it is so time consuming. I would also do film camera work if I had the resources.
I'm not sure there will be libraries as we know them 5 years from now.
Those could make a nice deck of Tarot Cards.... The Phd Quack could easily be The Fool.
I have found a printer who does kick starter financed runs of playing cards.
I would like to do a Visual Combat set of cards with 54 of my images.
Yet another project.
Seems like you'll end up with a deck of 54 jokers.
Priceless.
Hey WilliamBanzai7;
I think your offering will work well. On a monitor the images you will be marketing look fine and I am sure the printed version will look even better. I prefer someone do something like this, which is unique, than depending on clicks on advertising to make a go of it.
Best wihes and when I get out of my own financial hole you will be able to count on me for an order.
You will notice that none of my Internet sites have banner ads. Once again, it is a question of personal preference. I can't bring myself to display my work next to Goldman Sachs and Citibank banner ads. Also running a web site that is primarily designed to maximize click revenue is a different kind of full time undertaking.
My viewers are primarily spread around ZH, Keiser, Twitter and Flickr. None of them generate direct revenue for me.
So much good stuff! Only comment, need more drones - didn't they say they were going to start flying like 30,000 more over the US skies?
I think I have more drone Satire than anyone else. If you would like one printed up let me know. Here is my drone set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/expd/sets/72157631983466444/
Now I gotta go to my folder full of "Banzi Best" and make a selection!
Like I told ya months ago, your probably going to be in the history books a few decades from now, so I MUST get a minumum of 3 for the grandson's , let them appreciate in value for a few decades. They possible could make a down payment on a few acres.
Your work is authentic, original and has much more relavance than Warhol.
You fan and friend!
Tnx very much my good fellow ;-)
Coincidently there is a traveling Warhol exhibit in HK which I saw last week. I brought a totally new perspective with me going in. I was looking for something deeper than what has always been obvious to me about his work. While it is entertaining to look at, there isn't very much in the sense of social importance beyond documenting that period of NYC culture.
Cartoonist for Playboy seemed to be the only social relevant stuff reguarding the Viet Nam War, I can recall a few that made a humorus impression on me, One especially. It was a Vietnamese farmer on a rice paddy bank, a crashed F-4 in the rice paddy background and two pilot's that look a little pissed. It had a caption below that went somthing like this "Oh No, it was not me that brought great bird in the skydown with rock"..
Kepp it up man, just keep it up. By now the Wall street bimbos, MSM failures and political whores are, at a minimum, monitoring your work! You know it has got to be getting passed around.
On Warhol, he was a drugged out experimental gay dude with nothing but a wierd mind, no better or worse than Manson, just a fixture of that time period. The NY scene then was just competetion on who could do the most drungs and not end up dead. The survivors were people like Kunstler and they got out before it consumed them.
I know for a fact, from the inside, that many in the MSM are monitoring my work.
I am happy to report that I never went anywhere near Studio 54. On the other hand I have been in a few Asian discos in my day, where the terrain is much more interesting ;-)
Asian chiks are HOOOOOOT!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Songs for Drella
WB, you should think about publishing a coffee table book of your work. That would be an amazing compilation. Regards - MM
Agree. Some of us hide our rebellious (how do you spell that) streak a little at this point in the drama, and perhaps might not stick something on the wall, gold-frame or not.
I would mos-def buy a book. There are a million small-volume web-printers now, who can print from 2 copies of something, to thousands. And some of them will handle distribution if you want.
More power to you Willie, I know how much time is consumed by this commentary. We are very honoured to have seen you reasonably early, I have no doubt the weight of your message will be recognised. Debt brother alone is up there with Gerald Scarfe and Chuck, & Walt, & 1st-phase Banksy.
Point well taken. Putting aside the unattractive economics of the online publishers, the next biggest impediment is their reluctance to go anywhere near images that are parodies. I have the same problem with zazzle. You can't really blame them since there are all kinds of people who really don't care about the nuances of copyright law and the fair use exception.
By doing it directly with a local printer I think I will be able to push the envelope in a reasonable manner although I would have to steer clear of the Hollywood copyright Nazis.
This is next on deck.
I have an excellent art book printer already lined up. This is much better in terms of quality and cost effectiveness than an internet print as you go scenario. The economics of the latter is primarily for the benefit of the online publisher. The latter, like zazzle, also has zero tolerance in terms of copyright fair use. It is also impossible to sign books before shipment.
With the local printer I will have complete control over every step of the printing process and we will get much more bang for our bucks in terms of quality. However, it is considerably more complicated a project to execute and will require crowd financing and/or lots of order commitments up front since the size of the print run determines the price. I also have no place to store books held in inventory. But I can sign books before shipment.
I think your book will be an amazing keepsake. I'd even be willing to buy one for each year of your works. Something I'd enjoy would be a bit of text explaining some history behind each work. By history, I mostly mean the history of the subjects you are portraying, although your own history of that year would also be fascinating... although perhaps it may distract the narrative.
I have three ways to go, a collab with Limerick King, which will happen I am sure, a picture collection with short notes and finally a book, with my commentary on what has happened along with illustrations.
Warhol's "work" is pure NY nihilism. Banzai's is profoundly moral. Let us know about how/where to crowd-finance the book...I'll sacrifice a Silver Eagle or two.
I am really looking forward to the "coffee table" book. Hope you are able to put one together by Fall for holiday gift giving. Maybe some limericks in it, too. A nice forward and intro by Max Keiser would complete the package.
BTW are you going to comp the Bernak one of each print for his office?
Bernank needs to POMO his.
gutenberg smiles upon thee sir
may your conquest of printed media be as swift and stunning as your work in the digital space
manly p. hall is crying like a little bitch somewhere right now
Tnx I am very excited about this because it literally opens up a whole new dimension. The pictures look fantastic in large format.
Even Stanks is excited!
he likes to junk it junk it! :D
Stanks got his library card revoked! Now he can buy his own issue of "Lassies"~
(Stanks)-note to self: Get little tree to gold plate my fire hydrant.