WEB
I'd long been searching for Andy Warhol's 1985 Dolly Parton Polaroid Polacolor - without any luck - when Eyestorm.com blew into my life. This British fine-art Web dealer has almost every Polacolor print made by the pop talent. Unlike art sites such as NextMonet and ArtMecca, Eyestorm doesn't feature just any schmo with a paintbrush. And it doesn't mark its inventory up to defense-budget levels the way Collectorsphoto does, either.
Legends Helmut Newton and Doc Edgerton, as well as today's buzzworthy shutterbugs like Mariko Mori, are among the 67 photographers, painters, and sculptors whose work is represented here. This might sound like a small roster compared with other sites, but no one's got a better lineup. A page for each artist shows thumbnails of their work, along with salient info; links give recent exhibit locations.
Eyestorm also commissions online-only works by established artists - for example, it's been releasing a new color Polaroid created by sculptor and photographer Robert Graham each month through January. If you don't want to pony up $3,000 to buy one of the original pictures, just download the free high-res version and print it out.
Most of Eyestorm's artwork costs between $350 and $10,000. Financing from investors like News Corp. enables the site to waive shipping fees and sales tax for non-European customers. Expect purchases to arrive within a week, with authenticity usually guaranteed through estate stamps or artist signature. Perhaps best of all, if I decide Dolly doesn't look good in my dining room, I can return her within 10 days for a full refund.
Eyestorm.com: www.eyestorm.com.
STREET CRED
Trafficking Jam
Invisible Band
Jet Pack
Flash of Recognition
The Bargain Store
Caddie Whack
Six Million Degrees of Separation
ReadMe
Music
Ring My Bell
Scene Blocking 101
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Just Outta Beta
Underware
Derailing the Thought Train
Contributors
