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Private printers outline high-resolution scanning, low-cost public-art display options
Summary
Representatives from Nevada Art Printers presented scanning and printing options to the Las Vegas Arts Commission, saying digital reproduction and fabric/aluminum frame systems can reproduce artworks at lower cost than hand-painted murals and can be applied to vehicles, walls, windows and floors.
Scott Proctor and Robert Park of Nevada Art Printers described high-resolution scanning and a range of printed applications to the Las Vegas Arts Commission during a presentation at the commission's meeting.
The vendors said modern printing materials and mounting systems make it possible to reproduce and install artwork more cheaply than traditional painted murals, and to place art on unconventional surfaces such as vehicle panels, utility boxes, windows and interior walls. "The theme of the presentation is, thinking outside the frame," Scott Proctor said, describing flexible exterior and interior materials and interchangeable aluminum-frame installations.
Why it matters: commission members identified the presentation as relevant to several ongoing staff programs (seasonal banners, temporary installations and public education) and flagged the idea of city-owned vehicles or other mobile platforms as a way to broaden where people see public art.
Details from the presentation: Proctor showed examples of fabric and mesh graphics, window-perforated film and removable aluminum-frame displays. He said the materials can be laminated for durability and that interior applications can include translucent or textured digital wallpaper. On durability, Proctor said floor applications have shorter lifespans when walked on, while non-walked-on installations can last for years with proper lamination.
Robert Park described the technical process for digitizing original works and the level of quality his shop offers. He said some capture systems produce very large files by combining many high-resolution frames, and described use of polarization and composite photography to manage glare on varnished or textured surfaces. "We can make multiples from that, 600, 800, a gigapixel," Park said when explaining how files are assembled for very large reproductions.
Cost and artist compensation: Proctor and Park said reproduction and installation costs are typically a fraction of the price of a hand-painted mural. Proctor recommended licensing arrangements so artists are compensated when originals are reproduced; Park estimated that high-resolution capture can range "from, say, $65 to $250" depending on the size of the original and the work required to stitch multiple exposures.
Commission response and next steps: Commissioners asked about durability, costs and how artists would be paid for reproductions. Commissioner Portnoy thanked the presenters and suggested further study of a rotating vehicle-based program. Staff said the city already uses vinyl banners and reproductions for some programs and would evaluate whether further pilot projects or funding sources are appropriate.
The presenters left materials for staff to distribute to commissioners.
