Why does my Shepard Fairey print print have an AP in the lower left corner?
I have been representing Shepard Fairey in my gallery for ten years and have a very good relationship with him both as a gallery owner and as a friend. It is because of this relationship that I am able to get some AP’s when I order his prints. Many of my clients know this and request AP’s and I never charge more for them even though they are often perceived to be more valuable. Here is some information on Artists Proofs (AP’s): Artist’s proof – One of a small group of prints set aside from an edition for an artist’s use; An artist’s proof is typically one of the first proofs from a limited edition of prints, for the artist’s own copyright use, and marked as an A.P., and not numbered. Artist’s proofs generally draw a higher price than other impressions. Art historians, curators, and collectors view working proofs as an especially desirable because of their rarity, and the insight they may give into the progress of the work, and because they may well have belonged to the artist himself.
