Art Insights Gallery, which regularly features exclusive prints of Potter-related art, has released more exclusive book-related art this week. Two book covers and a special Priori Incantatem drawing are being offered for sale for the first time as fine art prints, and they are being exclusively previewed here on Leaky.
Each of the cover art lithographs have been released as part of a 2500-edition set, and are $95 each. Only 150 have been printed of the Priori Incantatem scene.
Leslie Combemale at Artinisghts has interviewed Ruth Clampett, the WB exec who is responsible for overseeing and publishing the Harry Potter Fine Art Program. Clampett and Combemale talk about HP and Jo’s relationship to her fans. Clampett remembers J.K. Rowling instructing a WB illustrator on “how to adjust each drawing to better capture each character’s likeness. She could describe every brick, every room and character down to the last detail and could call upon it at a whim.
The interview also reveals that J.K. Rowling owns the original art of the first Harry Potter book, and that the rest is in the Warner Bros. archives, as opposed to being sold. The art has never been sold or used in mass-market merchandise.
You can read the entire interview below! Thanks Leslie!
Leslie at Artinsights: You have been working with Warner Bros, and indirectly with JK Rowling and Scholastic to release all the official art of Harry Potter: tell us how it all came about!
Ruth Clampett: Well, I remember in the late nineties being at an executive meeting at Warner Bros. and the president of our division mentioning a book called “Harry Potter” and that he thought this would be the next big thing at WB. This was before any of the movies had been started, but there was a feeling that it was only a matter of time before everyone knew just how amazing the book series was, and embraced the vision that Rowling had, that this was the start of something that would be really big. So of course I ran out and bought the first book and read it in one sitting. I was completely enchanted by Harry’s story and the world at Hogwarts and immediately became a huge fan.
It had been determined early on, that the book cover art was special and not to be used for merchandising. As VP of Design for the Warner Bros. Stores it was my teams responsibility to design the first HP product. This led to a trip where I took my head illustrator, Fred Bode with me to the WB offices in London to show Jo our initial designs for the characters. Since it was before the movies, we only had the book descriptions and MGP’s art to go on, but I was really impressed at how alive the characters were in her mind. I remember Jo instructing Fred at how to adjust each drawing to better capture each character’s likeness. She could describe every brick, every room and character down to the last detail and could call upon it at a whim. Even though I loved the books and was a little star struck, spending that day with her only increased my respect for her.
At the Studio Stores we released a collection of images from Fred Bode, from the drawings that he had done for Jo. As time went on, Warner Bros. commissioned a series of pastels from Mary GrandPre` to depict some of the favorite scenes from the books and we began publishing those as signed limited edition prints. Those became the first HP Mary GrandPre` portfolio which were coveted by collectors and in high demand.
As for the actual cover art, both JK Rowling and WB knew the historical significance of this art and wanted to treat it in a very special way. Naturally we always hoped to release fine art prints of the work, but we would have to wait until everyone felt it was the right time.
Leslie: So that is part of the reason that no originals are available for sale, right?
Ruth: Absolutely. First off, Rowling owns the original of the first cover, and the rest of the art is in the Warner Bros. archives. It has been shown at the Warner Bros. Museum and for a few other significant events, but I really appreciate that Rowling and WB both see the art’s importance to the books. Because of Jo’s appreciation of her fans, she finally decided to let the art be used for a fine art program, but only in a special and exclusive way. This art has never been used for any mass-market merchandise or cheap posters. We began with the Deluxe signed cover set which shows the full wrap-around image of the art how it was originally conceived, and now we have the lithographs of the front cover for collectors who want something special but can’t quite get the deluxe version.
Leslie: Tell us about the new lithographs.
Ruth: They are much larger than the original book covers so they look fantastic framed. JK Rowling is very aware she has an amazing fan base of young folks who might be buying their first piece of art, and this gives them something in a price range they can afford. The prints mimic the covers with the foil stamping and embossing and are beautifully reproduced maintaining the integrity of the art. The deluxe edition pieceson the other hand, are signed, numbered editions that show the entire pastel images in all their glory. I’m sure that she wanted to create an art program that would satisfy HP collectors, and make the variety of fans she so appreciates happy.
Leslie: Sometimes artists ask me why there are so few artists allowed to created limited editions for Harry Potter?
Ruth: I think there was a feeling all along to stay very authentic with this property in every way possible. Obviously, many artists have wanted to create images of these characters but it has been limited to artists who had a real connection to the books or the films. Fred Bode, as I mentioned was one. Jim Salvati is another, who had worked on film-based artwork for WB, and of course Mary GrandPre`. I loved that Mary was willing to be part of the fine art program because her art so captures the magic of the books and she is a delight to work with. This exclusivity is just another indication that JK Rowling has continued to be the best possible guardian of these stories and their characters. She is a brilliant and powerful woman.
Leslie: So now that my gallery is releasing the second set of deluxe images: from Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, is there any word on the special piece only being given to those who buy the whole set of book covers? and you guys were awesome to give me exclusive Mary GrandPre art only available at my gallery—can you talk about that piece?
Ruth: Well, as you know Leslie, everything takes a long time for approval because it goes all the way to JK, which I actually love knowing, but it takes much longer to process. All I can say is that it will be worth the wait. And since you are getting the exclusive first release of the Deluxe cover art, we will let you “leak” the image to Leaky Cauldron first. Don’t worry, you’ll know before the release in November! And as to your exclusive, we’ve been so pleased with your enthusiastic representation of all things Harry Potter, we are happy to give you the worldwide exclusive piece, “The Golden Web”. It was done as part of the images she created for WB, and was inspired by the books. It is actually one of my all-time favorite scenes! When Harry and Voldemort’s wands connect in the graveyard scene at the end of the Goblet of Fire, and the resulting golden thread creates a golden web around them, and then spirits including Harry Parents) come forth and aid Harry….it is just an amazingly powerful and emotional scene!
Leslie: I happen to know you’ve been as much a fan as many folks on Leaky Cauldron! Have you enjoyed the entire series?
Ruth: Oh Yes! I have read all the books many times and have my own HP collection. My most precious item is a British version of the first book that Jo signed for my daughter in that first meeting. My daughter, by the way, is a huge fan as well and was Hermione for Halloween last year.
Due to my passion for all things HP, I am so happy that WB trusted me to publish this fine art program. When I finished the last book, I was quite sad that the stories were now over, but I was also incredibly satisfied. And I am very honored to have a small part in helping keep this property alive for generations to come.
Leslie: Well, I keep saying Harry Potter fans are the best fans and collectors to have. The convention I went to only confirmed that and if conventions don’t change your mind, nothing will!
Ruth: I know what you mean. Since I’m one of the fans, I’ll take that as a compliment…
Leslie: Are there any plans to release art from Beetle Bard?
Ruth: I love that art, and of course we’d be thrilled to be able to release that. I’ll let you know if or when we get the thumbs up for that!
Leslie: Meanwhile you promise to break the news of the special edition for the deluxe cover set though Leaky Cauldron?
Ruth: I’ll tell you, and you can tell them, as soon as I hear!
Leslie: Thanks for the insights into the art of Harry Potter, and for creating such a great art program for Harry Potter.
Ps. Artinsights still plans for Mary to visit their gallery, she is having a museum show at Cedar Rapids Museum, and since the flood that seriously damaged their bottom floor, we’ve deferred to them about timing. We’ll keep you all in the loop when we know she’ll be visiting our gallery!
that is not what a lithograph is; a lithograph, by definition is a reproduction. the process of offset lithography is what basically every piece of printed material you come across (magazines, newspapers, etc.) is printed with. a fine-art lithograph is a reproduction of an original piece of art. no artist or art collector would purchase a lithograph under the pretense that it was an original piece of art—there is no misleading going on whatsoever.
thanks, “ginevra”, one of the things we’ve always be struck with is the love of art HP fans have seemed to have from the first…when we got on LC for the first time-the first portfolio of 6 pieces, numbered and signed by MGP, was released for $950 or so-we had so many requests for more info and purchase i couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with them! Fans of Harry Potter have always been willing to spend on cool stuff—granted we have always had a lot of teachers and younger fans who have had to have quite the extended layaway, but we love them!
hopefully since you wrote your post, you’ve seen mine, saying there are two distinct sets of cover images, one unsigned edition of 2500 that look like the front of the books, with writing etc., (PRINTS! haha) and the larger images that are signed and numbered -edition of 500-(GICLEES!) our exclusive is signed and numbered, an edition of 150, and they are $300.
Posted by leslie at ArtInsights on October 02, 2008, 04:55 PM
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oh no, leslie! now you’ve opened up the can of worms that giclees can be for the ‘uppercrusty art snobs’! ... just kidding.
My Dear Friends! Soooo cool! Just so everyone knows, this is MY opinon, and no one elses. Definition nor fact nor fraud would keep me from seeing, and perhaps purchasing, one of these fine pieces. I will agree, with dcrazmo! Owning a “piece of the magic” is what is most important! Mary GrandPre is an awsome artist who has captured the magic, written by my favorite [and yours, I’m sure] J.K. Rowling. Thank You Leslie, at ArtInsights, for bringing this work to us. Thank You, Leaky. As always, you bring us the most wonderful things. I only wish I could afford one of these. Just not in the budget, right now….but I can see them, on line [as I have] and enjoy them, albeit at a distance. Ever a HP/JKR Fan [and now ArtInsights] Awesome doesn’t begin to describe it!
Posted by Confederate Lady on October 02, 2008, 07:17 PM
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Another note of praise for Leslie and Michael at ArtInsights. They are great to work with and have a significant amount of animation art for those who are interested in all types including these works by Mary GrandPre. I have purchased a number of pieces from them including the original GrandPre portfolio, these covers and other Potter works by John Alvin (he did the movie posters for the first two Potter films) and even some non Potter Disney pieces. I cannot speak more highly of a gallery concerning their knowledge of the artwork, graphic and visual processes and the artists who create them. If any of you can, these items are fantastic and ArtInsights is the only place I would recommend you get them.
Leslie Combemale
ArtInsights
11921 Freedom Drive
Reston Town Center
Reston, VA 20190
Artinsights@mac.com
703-478-0778
Dear Ms. Combernale:
Your Artinsights website is riddled with misconceptions and misrepresentations. If I may let me share just two examples.
FIRST example, in your “Glossary,” a “Limited Edition Cel ” is described as: “cels created by hand in the studio of the character or film’s origin made in limited number, usually between 200 and 750 pieces, generally made from original drawings from a film, either xerographically lined or hand inked but always hand painted. Each one is an original in the sense that it has been hand painted.”
Anything “made from original drawings” would by definition be a reproduction. Under U.S. Copyright Law 106, the Right of Attribution shall not apply to a reproduction. Therefore, it is an oxymoron to refer to a reproduction as “an original,” even if that reproduction has “been hand painted.”
SECOND example, in your “Glossary,” giclee is described as: “based on the French term meaning spray of ink, it describes a print made through a process where four precision nozzles spray up to a million microscopic droplets of ink per second on to fine art paper. A variety of sizes can be outputted without compromising detail or color vibrancy. The result is an image that mirrors the original to a stunning degree. There are giclees available of Warner Brothers characters now, and Disney is getting ready to release their premiere images next year.”
Once anything that “mirrors the original” would be a reproduction. Incidentally, do the so-called giclees you sell come with coatings to protect from UV exposure and prevent smearing from moisture? If so, that could be a red flag, those so-called giclee reproductions are reproduced using dyes not inks. Then serious questions of lightfastness may come into play. Those issues, in part, were published by Art Calender in September 1996. The artist and printmaker of original lithographs Mel Hunter and I were the catalyst for the research and documentation by Chicago-based Handschy Inks that bright colored “giclees” were as light-fast as a cereal box.
As for Warner Brothers and Disney, they have offices and studios in the State of California. Under California Civil Code 1738-1745, if you sell a reproduction for $100 or more, you are required to disclose it in writing as a reproduction. Failure to do so may included but not limited to: refund, interest, treble damages, attorney fees, expert witness fees and $1,000 fine per occurence.
This is not to mention other serious questions of law, like mail fraud, interstate fraud and unfair trade by those who, with or without intent not only fail to disclose reproductions as reproductions but misrepresent those reproducitons as art, artwork, lithographs, serigraphs and the like.
As an artist who creates lithographs by drawing on limestone block with a grease pencil, I speak with authority and experience. The resulting artist-drawn-image is the tool not the art. That tool is chemically prepared by the artist for printing by the artist. The resulting original works of visual art printed by the artist are called lithographs.
Here are five independent documented definitions that confirm the perspective that lithographs are original works of visual art created by an artist:
1. In U.S. Custom`s April 2006 An Informed Compliance Publication titled Works of Art, Collector`s Pieces Antiques, and Other Cultural Property, it states: “The expression original engravings, prints and lithographs means impressions produced directly, in black and white or in color, of one or of several plates wholly executed by hand by the artist, irrespective of the process or of the material employed by him, but excluding any mechanical or photomechanical process.”
2. In A GUIDE TO THE COLLECTING AND CARE OF ORIGINAL PRINTS sponsored by the The Print Council of America and authored by Carl Zigrosser and Christa M. Gaehde, the authors write: “An original print is a work of art, the general requirements of which are: a. The artist alone has created the master image in or upon the plate, stone, wood block or other material, for the purpose of creating the print. b. The print is made from the said material, by the artist or pursuant to his directions. c. The finished print is approved by the artist.”
3. In The Fifth Edition of the Artist`s Handbook of Materials and Techniques authored by Ralph Mayer, the author writes: “The major traditional graphic-arts processes of long standing and continued popularity are lithograph, etching, drypoint, woodcutting or wood engraving, aquatint, and soft-ground etching. ...The term `graphic arts` excludes all forms of mechanically reproduced works photographed or redrawn on plates; all processes in which the artist did not participate to his or her fullest capacity are reproductions.”
4. In The Tamarind Book of Lithography: Art & Techniques, it states: “Any lithograph printed from a stone or plate conceived and executed by the artist is an original lithograph…”
5. On the International Fine Print Dealers Association`s 2008 www.printdealers.com/learn.cfm website, “lithography” is defined as: “Literally, `stone drawing,` the artist draws or paints the composition on the flat surface of a stone with a greasy crayon or liquid. The design is chemically fixed on the stone with a weak solution of acid and gum arabic. In printing, the stone is flooded with water which is absorbed everywhere except where repelled by the greasy ink. Oil-based printer`s ink is then rolled on the stone, which is repelled in turn by the water soaked areas and accepted only by the drawn design. The stone is then run through the press with paper under light pressure, the final print showing neither a raised nor embossed quality but lying entirely on the surface of the paper.”
In closing, I hope the enclosed empowers you and everyone who may read this to understand what constitutes a lithograph, much less a reproduction.
Respectfully,
Gary Arseneau
artist, creator of original lithographs, scholar & author
garyarseneau.blogspot.com (blog)
garyarseneau.com (website)
gary, bless your heart for spending so much time on our website. —good luck fighting the lawyers of Disney and Warner Brothers Studios, from whom we derived the definitions in our glossary.
perhaps we do have what you call misconceptions based on your definition but animation is different by nature—i would imagine nothing animation other than the original drawings would qualify as an original, so maybe we just need to make up some new words…
i have no doubt that your e-mails come from a place of concern and desire to educate, which i respect, but seriously—we are a small business making a livelihood from a genuine love and respect for art, and no misrepresentation is intended, since as i said we follow strictly the descriptions the studios we represent on a retail level (ie Disney, Warner Brothers, etc.) give us.
also this whole thread might be boring the pants/hogwarts school uniforms off unsuspecting HP fans.
it kinda hurts my feelings, but at least it has been an opportunity for me to feel once again THE AWESOME POWER OF LEAKY LOVE!!!
leslie at artinsights
Posted by leslie at artinsights on October 02, 2008, 10:25 PM
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in my opinion the american book cover art is horendous,with the exception of the deathly hallows and the deluxe edition cover art,All of Mary grandpres drawings are childish and immature looking.Harry Potter is not Road Dahl with Quentin Blake drawing the pictures.The english art of the book covers is what should be celebrated and not the scavenged american versions ,(what i mean by that is that americans jumped on the band wagon of harry potter when the book first became popular.)The sorcerors stone hahahaah no idiots its the philosophers stone.Im blaming corporatism for these problems.
Compare the drawings of the Uk versions to the americans and look who thwarts the competition,the originals.U cannot beat the originals and i think Mary Grandpe began to grow up towards the end of the series drawings with the deathly hallows,but by then it has become too late.I would honestly be embarassed to have the american versions on my bookshelf because of the cover art being so childish.
this is my opinion.period.
i think the beauty of art is how personal it is and how what you respond to it is all you-although you don’t respond to MGP’s style, i love it—her colors make me feel welcomed into a magical world-but i also like her work on other books, like Plum and Lucia and the Light.
as to the consumerism and americans jumping on the bandwagon, i bet JKR is grateful, since sales in this country are what led her to being one of the richest women in the world!—anything that gets kids reading, including MGP’s cover art, should be applauded.
Beautiful art! Quite a silly argument over art repro terms, imho. You can bet I’m saving my galleons to get my hands on some of this wonderful GrandPre art.
To clarify a couple of things—
For the GoF cage of light image, long-time HP fans will recall that the first edition of the book mistakenly had Lily coming out of the wand AFTER James. This was a simple editing error and was corrected in subsequent editions of the book.
As to zak: you are welcome to your opinion on Ms. GrandPre’s artistic style. I personally find it delightful and can’t wait to own one of the lithographs. However, you are quite mistaken when you claim that Scholastic “jumped on the bandwagon … when the book first became popular.” This is simply not true. Arthur Levine read and became excited by the manuscript for the first book months BEFORE it was published in the UK and put out an unheard-of amount in advance to purchase the American publishing rights for this first book by an then-unknown author.
You can complain about the art not suiting your tastes, but please get your facts right about the harmonious co-existence of the UK and US editions of the Potter books.
"Excellent," said Aunt Marge. "I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundered. Have [i]you[/i] been beaten often?"[br]"Oh, yeah," said H
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@Gary Arseneau,
that is not what a lithograph is; a lithograph, by definition is a reproduction. the process of offset lithography is what basically every piece of printed material you come across (magazines, newspapers, etc.) is printed with. a fine-art lithograph is a reproduction of an original piece of art. no artist or art collector would purchase a lithograph under the pretense that it was an original piece of art—there is no misleading going on whatsoever.