Art on the Cheap: 5 Places for Posters

By Dwell @dwell
Much like the realms of interior design and architecture, the art world can be an intimidating place. Weighing the cost of purchase and framing against wanting to avoid reproductions and rip offs can be tricky. Luckily, a resurgence in letterpress arts a few years back (as well as ample online storefronts) makes it easy to support artisans and score some seriously great pieces, all without going over budget.

Underground by Blanca Gomez, $40 for 16 x 20 inch print.

Poster Cabaret
The online design shop of Austin based gallery and print shop Sebastian Foster in Austin, Texas, the site offers 2,500 posters and prints from about 75 artists for as little as $25 a pop. The whimsical, often surrealist images will add color and humor to any wall.

Society6
Although it’s been around for a few years, Society6 is still a great go-to for emerging artists’ work on the cheap. Sometimes the pieces veer into the overly cutesy category, but since you can pick between poster sizes, custom stationery, or an Iphone case (if you are lacking a piece of flair), it can’t be beat.

Let’s All Go and Have Breakfast by Teo Zirinis, from $16 for a 10 x 8 inch print.

East End Arts Club
Established in 2006 by a group of emerging graphic artists, the East End Arts club regularly presents in shows and art fairs, but use their site as a way to sell limited edition prints outside of the UK. They offer to help out first time buyers, from general advice to answering “What is a ‘giclee print’?” or “How does one know something is a limited edition?” Of course, we recommend this handy poster…

A is for Architect by People will Always Need Plates (Hannah Dipper and Robin Farquhar) $191 (includes shipping)

The Calm Gallery
Run by a husband and wife team, this British shop is the anglophile’s cup of tea. Each artist signs their pieces and some are released in numbered batch editions with a heavy reliance on the always-classy letterpress.

100% Bollocks by The Wooden Truth, approximately 17 x 12 inches, $38

RetroModernArt’s Shop
Of course, Etsy is a veritable treasure trove of artisans hawking their wares, but cut to the chase with Stacy Rajab’s linocut, woodblock, and art prints. Each of the linocut prints are hand-carved and hand-pulled by Rajab, for a one-of-a-kind poster.

Black and Gray squares linocut Mid Century Modern art poster, 16 x 20 inches, $125

Have more walls to cover? Try LinePosters or some Affordable Pop Art