Affordable Art 101: Making Art Easier to Collect

So, we spoke to Roger Walton, founder of Affordable Art 101, to see how he is able to offer this very low price for a Matisse etching, along with similarly priced art by other art history icons.  

Walton was exposed to the world of art making early on. In an exclusive interview with Art & Object, he explained, “Art was always important to our family... My father was an artist-- although not commercially successful-- and growing up in New York City, with the wonderful museums and galleries, gave me a lasting love of art… 

My father shared a studio in SoHo with a few other artists (before SoHo was posh) and I loved it whenever he brought me with him to watch him work. A friend of mine actually taught me the ins and outs of selling prints online.”

The collecting bug bit Walton about 30 years ago, and he can still recall his first purchase. “ It was a Rembrandt etching... I thought it was amazing to own something that old.” Since then, his collection has grown exponentially. 

He estimates he owns thousands of works on paper. His focus is primarily on original prints, etchings, lithographs, silkscreens, aquatints, mezzotints, and woodcuts. When people ask how he can offer original works at such low prices, he responds, “I started selling online 20 years ago, and have never operated a brick & mortar gallery. 

The money saved by selling only online, with a very low overhead and not operating a gallery, is passed directly to the buyer through lower prices. In fact, a substantial portion of the trade here at AffordableArt101 is selling wholesale to other dealers.”

Traditionally, works on paper are less expensive than paintings on canvas or other more resilient surfaces, even when created by the same artist. Although more ephemeral and prone to showing signs of fading and wear, they are easier to store and ship, cutting down on overhead costs. The detailed descriptions of each piece listed on Affordable Art 101 are very transparent and clearly state the conditions of the work.

You can acquire an etching in the style of or by a follower of Rembrandt (1606-1669) on Affordable Art 101 for $200 or less. 

The key words here, in the style of or a follower of, help explain the low price. In the case of the Matisse etching first mentioned, the description on Affordable Art 101 indicates it was printed in 1937 in an edition of 500 for the "Paris 1937" portfolio at the atelier of Jean-Gabriel Daragnes, part of an album with several different artists and literary figures celebrating Paris in 1937. 

Also, it was signed in the plate, not hand-signed, so it appears in the reverse on the print. The prints in the edition are also not numbered. It is indeed an original etching by Matisse, but each of these factors help to explain the low price when compared with other Matisse prints at auction.

Walton’s appreciation for art has expanded beyond his early appreciation for classical, figurative, work. “My personal taste is eclectic: I love Impressionism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, and these movements remain popular with collectors.” 

While living in Miami, Walton launched his career as a dealer. “I first started selling on eBay, and quickly realized it could be more than a ‘side-hustle’.” The company name, Affordable Art 101, appeals to Walton’s target audience-- those buyers who want to be able to hang a piece of original art by a name artist in their home, at a reasonable price, but who do not require the provenance or hand signature expected of a museum-quality piece.

Sometimes, prints are signed by the artist on the plate in the case of etching, as with the Matisse, or on the stone for a lithograph. When the signature is on the plate, it will appear on the print in reverse in large editions, often published after an artist’s death. This is one example how Walton can offer works by icons of Modern Art at such low prices.

In 2015, Walton moved his headquarters to Las Vegas, but he indicated, “Location is not an issue when you are selling art online. Since there is no physical gallery, I suppose you would consider me a dealer, rather than a gallerist.

Digital art sales is what I'm best suited for, by both experience and temperament, rather than face-to-face sales.” When asked about the future, Walton replied, “People love the convenience of buying online, and the internet connects me to buyers all over the world, so the future looks good.”