ABOUT
TEW Art Gallery is an online shop with the goal of improving on your blank wall. We are physically located in Maryland, but exclusively online for our shop and sales.
Currently, all of the art here was created by Todd E. Washington (I sign my work "TEW"). I'm primarily focused on painting and drawing, but don't be surprised to see three-dimensional works show up in the future.
I'm selling my art online because I think that's how most people want to buy art. Since 2020, people were forced to adopt to new, I-never-thought-possible online buying: meals, cars, groceries, houses, etc. Why not art? No sales pressure, no pretentious environment, maximum selection, just you anonymously looking around in your skivvies.
Galleries are great, but for an artist, that's another entity in the distribution chain. It raises your price. But by selling direct, I can keep my prices very reasonable. In fact, I want you to compare my prices against Restoration Hardware (RH), West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn or any other comparable home decor shop. Not only are you likely paying less for my work, you won't see it on your neighbor's wall. The big retailers sell hundreds or even thousands of duplicates, where I limit each print version to ten.
So, limited edition work at mass-production prices. I want you to feel good about your purchase, not have buyer's remorse. That you didn't overpay, but got something great for your wall at a fair price.
PHILOSOPHY*
My art should first and foremost, enrich the viewer's life upon viewing and without further explanation. That it should stand alone as art. What? Please explain, Todd.
Using painting as an example, let's think about who the audience / buyer might be:
1. Museum
2. Auction House / Reseller
3. Investor
4. Public Entity
5. Someone with a blank wall in typical house with 8-10' ceilings.
Museum. Cavernous exhibition spaces with huge walls to fill. Buys art to fill curatorial needs. Interested in how the art fits into art history. An example is Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, which is 8' x 7'8". Won't look good in your hallway.
Auction House / Reseller. These are where headline-catching art sales take place. An example is Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which is one of five 40" x 40" silkscreen portraits--different colored backgrounds--using a publicity photo from Monroe's 1953 film Niagara. Christie's sold it for $195 million in 2022. That's an expensive print!
Investor. Of course everyone wants their art to appreciate in value, but investor's are purchasing art with the specific goal of making money. These folks are likely to find their art through auction houses, galleries, and art consultants. They are hoping to find the next Shot Sage Blue Marilyn. The aesthetic value and how it looks on a wall is considered, but more so is whether it is likely to appreciate in value. Historical importance, critical recognition, publicity, and scarcity all help drive the price beyond that which you might predict.
Public Entity. This is art commissioned or purchased on behalf of a municipality, government, or other publicly-funded organization. They are buying art that comports with the social, cultural, and political values of the elected officials and administrators overseeing the purchase. With input from the public, hopefully. This art is typically big, such as outdoor sculptures or murals. Homeowner's association unlikely to sign off on it.
Blank wall. Last but not least, the person who wants to look at something besides a blank wall, Van Gogh's The Starry Night print (takes me back to my college dorm!), or a digital screen. Buying art because it looks good on the wall, not in lieu of 401(k), or because fits in art history timeline, or you need to hear the backstory to enjoy it. Just like it, pleasurable to look at, price is fair.
*A philosophy is simply a theory or attitude, but not definitive or provable. Translation? This is just my two cents. The next artist, critic, or art historian could see it totally different, which is just fine.