Edition Number

Edition Number

The edition number is the specific number assigned to a print or artwork within an edition, usually indicated as a fraction.

For example, the first print in an edition of 100 might be marked as 1/100. The edition number can provide insight into the value of the piece; earlier numbers are sometimes considered more valuable, although this is not a universal rule. Knowing the edition number can be crucial for collectors and galleries as it adds another layer of information about the artwork's provenance and exclusivity.

36 results found for "Edition Number"

What is an edition?

At Avant Arte, limited edition artworks are our bread and butter. As with many good things, they come wrapped in jargon. Read on for a quick fix summary of everything you need to know to start collecting.

What is an edition?

GIANTS, High jump in Rio

A miniature giant by legendary photographer, JR.

In his ongoing Giants series, JR takes over buildings and monuments worldwide with enormous black and white portraits. The project began in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Olympics – championing determined world class athletes who didn’t quite make the cut. Mohamed, a Sudanese high-jumper, took his place on the roof of a foreclosed apartment building overlooking the ocean.

A first-of-its-kind sculpture archives the moment at a domestic scale. The figure, printed on acrylic, can be affixed to a scaffold made from welded steel rods and displayed in isolation, or placed on top of a bespoke plinth which doubles up as an edition box.

“All my works are ephemeral. If you go back to Rio it’s not there, but it’s there in people’s minds. For the people who haven’t seen it, here is the proof that it at some point existed.”

Watch the accompanying film to hear JR’s reflections on scale, scaffolding and the importance of protecting his naivety.

Sculpture

GIANTS, High jump in Rio

Anything worth having hurts a little

For a time-limited print edition, Gabrielle Garland concocts a vision of domestic bliss.

Garland’s enticing homes – alive with pastel hues and skewed perspectives – are inspired by photographs taken around her New York neighbourhood. Anything worth having hurts a little borrows its title from a line in The Neon Demon (2016). References to film, TV and music in Garland’s titles hint at the limitless stories hovering just beyond the edge of her canvases. With no figures present, narrative possibilities are endless. A newspaper waits on the doorstep, but for who? Flowers bloom below the window, but who planted them?

The number of artworks produced will be confirmed when the 24 hour release window ends, based on the number of orders placed. Once printed, Garland will add a number to the blue plaque on the front of each house in black acrylic pen – denoting the edition number and making every print unique. Numbers will be allocated chronologically, with the first order recieving house number 1, and so on. Worldwide shipping is free.

Anything worth having hurts a little

Santa with Butt Plug Bronze 11.4 inches

With an assembly of red bronzes, Paul McCarthy imparts a lewd lesson on the duality of an object.

From early performances to pop-up Parisian confectioners and 80-foot inflatables, sex toys and Santa Claus have a storied past in the work of seminal American artist Paul McCarthy. Short of a signature, the two belong to a perverse lexicon of icons and archetypes which McCarthy has revisited, re-invented and combined at will over the course of his five decade career. In this case, questioning the commodification of Christmas and the associations of a derided object which – in another context – might be considered a masterstroke of minimalism.

Santa with Butt Plug Bronze 11.4 inches revisits a 2001 public sculpture commissioned by the city of Rotterdam. A foam replica, created during the casting process and subsequently left to rot for five years outside McCarthy’s studio, provides the form for a new and smaller incarnation. Cracks, fissures and imperfections are preserved as testament to the artwork’s ongoing history. A sanguine finish completes the edition – heightening the fidelity of its surface and fulfilling McCarthy’s vision for his original, large-scale Santa.

For the full picture, read an accompanying journal – Butt plugs, Santa Claus & Paul McCarthy.

Sculpture

Santa with Butt Plug Bronze 11.4 inches

Bath Saxum

In Bath-Saxum, two figures are inextricably linked by a cerebral connection, realised in patinated bronze.

Languishing in the basin of a boy’s open head, a young girl emerges from the vessel of his mind. She is an embodiment of memory, symbiosis and connection. Each sculpture is finished with gold leaf detailing, highlighting a small crack in the side of the boy’s head.

“The injury is highlighted as a part of one's history, a trauma and scar that is turned into something beautiful - a feature, rather than a defect.”

Bath Saxum

GOOD THING YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Kara Joslyn’s optical illusions permeate through a multi-dimensional mirrored sculpture in GOOD THING YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Based on an original painting, a pair of candles are suspended alight within an ornate mirror, reflecting Joslyn’s holographic techniques. Perspex layering allows natural light to flood the piece, creating the illusion of an artwork frozen in liminal space. A monochrome mirage of light and shadow compliments the mirrored layer within, empowering the piece to tread the line between surrealism and realism.

GOOD THING YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Too Darn Hot

To benefit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, silkscreen print Too Darn Hot combines a landmark moment for Tom Sachs’ practice with his continued investigations of the past, present and future of authentication.

“The thing about faith is that it's for the faithful. It only works if you believe in it.”

The acquisition of Too Darn Hot – a ‘frankenrocket’ from Sachs’ trailblazing Rocket Factory project – by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) underscored the museum’s position as one of the most progressive in the world with regard to the intersections of art and technology. To support the future of this position, 40% of proceeds from the Sachs’ first Avant Arte edition will be donated to LACMA.

Each 13-colour silkscreen print includes a group of mechanisms conceived by the artist to establish its authenticity, and as integral parts of the artwork. A debossed design includes information from the launch of Sachs’ physical Too Darn Hot rocket at LACMA in 2021. A rubber stamp in its centre denotes the print’s specific number within the overall edition. A QR code printed in UV ink connects each print with the original Too Darn Hot NFT metadata on the blockchain. On the print’s reverse is a tamper-proof holographic sticker, placed alongside a QR code sticker that links to a unique token on the blockchain – an NFT – which serves as a certificate of authenticity for the print it connects with. A second, printed certificate of authenticity shipped with each print also links directly to this NFT.

The exact edition size will be determined by the number of prints ordered in the 24 hour release window. When this window ends, artworks will be printed, authenticated and shipped worldwide free of charge.

Print

Too Darn Hot

Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (pink)

En Iwamura’s Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (pink) preserves ancient principles of space through modern, minimal design.

Angular edges juxtapose a series of intricately-carved, curved lines encircling the marble’s surface. Recalling repetitive patterns used in Zen Buddhist gardens, Iwamura evokes the traditional Japanese concept of Ma – a philosophy at the core of his practice. A pair of sunglass-framed eyes animate each otherwise abstract form to endearingly peculiar effect.

Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (pink)

Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (grey)

En Iwamura’s Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (grey) preserves ancient principles of space through modern, minimal design.

Angular edges juxtapose a series of intricately-carved, curved lines encircling the marble’s surface. Recalling repetitive patterns used in Zen Buddhist gardens, Iwamura evokes the traditional Japanese concept of Ma – a philosophy at the core of his practice. A pair of sunglass-framed eyes animate each otherwise abstract form to endearingly peculiar effect.

Neo Jomon: Geometric fantôme (grey)

Seated Bronze

In Seated Bronze, Tschabalala Self uses an everyday moment and object – sitting, on a chair – as an entry point to questions of permission and performance.

Created alongside the artist’s first large-scale public sculpture, the work celebrates an otherwise-innocuous moment of relaxation. Each bronze sculpture is finished with a unique, mottled patina.

“The woman is strong, beautiful and self-possessed. She represents all individuals, but women in particular, who understand the power and importance of simple gestures that assert their right to take up space.”

On October 5 Self's monumental sculpture was unveiled at Coal Drops Yard in London, where it will remain on view until early 2023. To discover the collaboration in full, visit the accompanying journal.

Sculpture

Seated Bronze

Standing with LUV (Medium)

Reprised in a new larger size to celebrate LY’s solo show in Tokyo, an enigmatic, hoodie-clad LUV gazes into the middle distance whilst roaming the city.

Standing with LUV is an edition of 50 bronze sculptures, hand-painted in the artist’s signature greyscale palette. In the work, LUV wears a sweater emblazoned with its own likeness.

Originally released in 2021, Standing with LUV has been reprised in a new size to celebrate the artist’s upcoming solo show.

Standing with LUV (Medium)

Confused LUV (Medium)

Often portrayed as strong, here retreating into a ball, is LUV lost, lonely, or even in love?

Hoping that viewers feel comforted by her work, LY encourages us to relate our own mood or situation to the different forms of her enigmatic character, LUV – “Some people might think LUV is feeling depressed, or sleepy, others might think they are wondering where to go next.”

Originally released in 2021, Confused LUV has been reprised in a new size to celebrate the artist’s upcoming solo show. Visit the collective for a personal tour with LY of her show on 23/09/22.

Confused LUV (Medium)

Shape Shift

Hypnotic colour and structure bloom and pulse in Jen Stark’s Shape Shift.

The artist’s first large-scale lenticular combines formal and organic shapes to create an optical patchwork collage, translating her digital animations into physical form. The lenticular lens allows the print to change when viewed from different angles. Striking sunset gradients, vivid shapes found within a garden and rich hues of underwater sea life all act as starting points for Stark’s dynamic process – an encyclopaedia of disparate geometries.

“I wanted the shapes to seem like they were breathing, pulsing, and expanding into infinity.”

Shape Shift

Reclining Carrot

Hein Koh critiques societal scrutiny with a satirical twist in anthropomorphic sculpture, Reclining Carrot.

Sporting thigh-scraping boots and matching gloves, the carrot’s nonchalant demeanour is completed by a slim cigarette held between plump, rouged lips. Behind a glamorous facade, the sculpture’s overt sexualisation calls out the unrealistic expectations faced by women in everyday life. In tandem with these serious concerns, Koh revels in the distinctive sense of humour which guides the absurd narratives found throughout her plant-based practice.

“I want the work to speak to all the pressures that women are under: to be perfect, to be attractive, to be good moms. I want people to look at my work and think ‘Oh, I’ve been there before.’”

Reclining Carrot

Magesian

Magesian, a misunderstood monster, demands care and empathy – two themes at the core of A-Lei’s practice.

Informed by an original ceramic sculpture and a series of ink sketches, the beguiling brass creature clutches a similarly peculiar ride. Sepia tones nod to A-Lei’s upbringing in Taiwan – each figure hand-finished in cream automotive paint. The strange anatomy of both figures stems from a childhood passion for animatronics and anime.

Any unease arising from the duo’s uncanny appearance is quickly replaced by tenderness – a deft rebuttal of prejudice and misunderstanding.

“As I’m sculpting, it feels like the work becomes more and more alive.”

Magesian

Mask of a Woman (Green Patina)

In Mask of a Woman, Nicolas Holiber’s dense impasto forms the basis of a gestural bronze face.

The artist’s first bronze edition is an exploration of materiality and artistic intuition. Approaching sculpture through painterly processes, the distorted face is conjured entirely from the artist’s imagination. Replacing the push and pull of heavy acrylic with the malleability of clay, forms and features emerge organically from the cast.

“I use a growing set of tools to push and pull the mixture around – adding and subtracting. It’s exciting because it’s a very raw moment, and really, anything can happen. Body parts and faces start to appear.”

The edition is also available in a black patina finish.

Mask of a Woman (Green Patina)

Woodcutter (Bronze)

James Jean’s Woodcutter, consecrated into bronze, embodies the complexity and technical prowess of the artist’s timeless compositions.

The artist’s wood gathering motif evolved from references to 18th century engraving and Ninomiya Sontoku – a prominent Japanese figure of self education and diligence. Woodcutter now takes form as a young boy realised in bronze, chosen for its longevity and lustrous energy. His gathered firewood reveals glistening faces representing Kami – omnipresent spirits originating from the Shinto religion who traditionally assist hunter-gatherer groups.

“As the kindling is burned, the boy is thankful to the spirits – for releasing their energy and creating heat.”

Woodcutter (Bronze)

Ground Dragon

Takahiro Komuro’s Ground Dragon translates childhood fantasies into iridescent bronze.

Growing up in the 1990s, Komuro’s sculptures are inspired by a range of cultural influences, including sci-fi films like Star Wars and Jurassic Park – “Everything I experienced was astonishing and I wanted to crystalise that.”

“Cute but shocking,” Ground Dragon aligns itself with the artist’s wider vinyl figurines. Komuro begins his process with a digital render, before transforming them into intricate sculptures made from a variety materials – in this case, bronze.

Ground Dragon

Lucky Charm

Sculpted from industrial materials, Whalen’s fragmented figures offer lively takes on daily life.

Lucky Charm’s central figure embodies an artistic representation of the spectrum of human emotion. Typical of the artists's refined process, each sculpture has been sandcast by hand and finished with a gold chrome detail.

"This work focuses on the everyday quirkiness of the human experience - life's absurdities."

Lucky Charm

Free Advice

Hebru Brantley creates empowering, Afrofuturist visions inspired by notions of heroism.

Based on an original painting of the same name, Free Advice sees the artist’s recurring character Phibby brought to life in three-dimensional form.

Looking up expectantly, the title derives from the words of Brantley’s elders – those who have experienced life in every possible way. In jest or in a bid to save the younger generation from potential pitfalls they've encountered, 'free advice' is offered.

Free Advice

NITE NITE (White)

Working in the orbit of the Japanese Superflat movement, and exclusively in nostalgia-inducing monochrome, TIDE centres recent paintings and sculptures on a single feline subject. Our debut collaboration, NITE NITE, is an intricate bronze sculpture finished in white automotive paint.

Alluding to a philosophy of dualism present throughout the artist’s practice – exploring contrasts of light and dark, cute and sombre – NITE NITE (White) will be released alongside a twin edition in black.

This edition will be shipped within 4-6 weeks of placing an order.

NITE NITE (White)

NITE NITE (Black)

Working in the orbit of the Japanese Superflat movement, and exclusively in nostalgia-inducing monochrome, TIDE centres recent paintings and sculptures on a single feline subject. Our debut collaboration, NITE NITE, is an intricate bronze sculpture finished in black automotive paint.

Alluding to a philosophy of dualism present throughout the artist’s practice – exploring contrasts of light and dark, cute and sombre – NITE NITE (Black) will be released alongside a twin edition in white.

This edition will be shipped within 4-6 weeks of placing an order.

NITE NITE (Black)

Open Mind (Large)

In his Hong Kong workshop, Johnson Tsang preserves surreal fantasies and lucid dreams in masterfully-sculpted porcelain. The serene, plump face of our third collaboration, which also functions as a plant pot, calls to mind that of a young child.

The edition embodies a message from Tsang to his former self, a heartfelt thank you for the courage required to pursue life as an artist and retain an imaginative outlook. “I want to tell you that you are a great man to me. You opened up your mind, listened to our inner voice and invited me to join you. You taught me that life can be like this.”

Dimensions listed below reference the ceramic sculpture. The interior diameter of the plant pot is 21cm. When placed on the wooden stand, the artwork’s total height is 49cm.

Open Mind (Large)

Cactus Man Vessel

DRx, Neighborhood SRL & CRamics
Avant Arte presents a multimode collaboration between DRx (category-defying creative and ‘fortune telling’ collector, Darren Romanelli), SRL (Specimen Research Laboratory, an offshoot of trailblazing streetwear brand Neighborhood) and CRamics (graphic designer turned ceramicist, Candice Romanelli).

Comprising a vinyl figure complete with removable mask, hands and apron, a limited edition Neighborhood SRL T-shirt and a slab-made, fired stoneware vessel by CRamics, the collaboration connects eclectic subcultural references with a profound appreciation for collecting, cactus cultivation and botany at large.

True to Romanelli’s reputation as a multi-hyphenate practitioner, the 3 artefacts deftly entwine tenets of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture – questioning how said categories have been and might be defined to begin with.

Read an interview with Darren and Neighborhood founder Shinsuke Takizawa to find out more.

Please note that dimensions listed below reference the vinyl figure.

Collectible

Cactus Man Vessel

With his Sidekick (Small)

LY’s trademark character LUV drifts through city life taking great care of the things they love.

A new composition, With his sidekick, recalls the artist’s memories of skate culture in Tokyo as a teenager. Often seen clutching their most cherished possession, a skateboard deck, LUV is rendered in greyscale to echo the urban sprawl of Tokyo.

“I saw skaters carrying around their skateboard deck wherever they went, thinking it must be such a precious thing for them!”

With his sidekick will appear alongside a series of unseen original works at an upcoming show in Tokyo.

With his Sidekick (Small)

BIAS

Roby Dwi Antono proffers a darkly endearing, emotionally-charged take on surreal figuration.

"Serenity and balance can be seen in the regularity of our heartbeats and breathing. Tenderness and compassion keep us in harmony with the rhythms of human life."

BIAS, a new print edition, centres on one of his distinctive, wide-eyed subjects. Each monochromatic screenprint has been embellished by hand with a series of smaller creatures, rendered in colourful oil pastel – drawing together two distinct stylistic threads from the artist’s burgeoning oeuvre for the first time.

Bespoke frames in a selection of painted wooden hues compliment the unique character of each work. Please note that works from the edition will be randomly assigned.

BIAS

This is LUV (Small)

Developed during the early stages of her career, yet only recently revealed, This is LUV embodies LY’s artistic dedication.

First painted in 2015 when LY decided to dedicate her life to being an artist, LUV sits – defiant, upright –and looks to the future. One of the earliest appearances of a now ubiquitous character, LUV has since joined LY for all manner of artistic adventures.

This is LUV shares its name with LY’s upcoming solo show in Tokyo, where it will appear alongside a series of unseen original works.

This is LUV (Small)

Confused LUV (Small)

LY extolls droll wanderlust in the monochromatic adventures of imagined character, LUV.

While themes of urban isolation predate COVID-19 in the artist's work, they are perhaps more tangible and universally-felt in the aftermath of almost two years of various lockdowns and restrictions. A pair of new editions, Confused LUV and Still Confused see the artist's ever-ambiguous character curled into a ball. As their titles suggest, LUV is confused.

Sculpture

Confused LUV (Small)

Lotus of Hope

From his studio in Paris, Jean-Michel Othoniel sculpts in search of opulent, unabashed beauty.

Our debut collaboration, Lotus of Hope, is released to coincide with World Aids Day, and the majority of proceeds from the edition will be donated to the New York City AIDS Memorial.

“The lotus is a symbol of rebirth and of purity, that emerges over the swamp and doldrums to reveal its great beauty. Although I think we’re finally at this time of rebirth, it’s essential to never forget about the swamp.”

Lotus of Hope

Slingshot Requiem (Relief)

Slingshot Requiem captures a moment of respite in the aftermath of adventure — his namesake weapon inverted to become a wishbone and his body, once poised to fight, now wrapped in bandages. The work was inspired by the multimode chaos of the last 18 months, and a widely felt need to take stock and reflect before pushing forwards once again.

Carved, polished, and sandblasted from a piece of quarter inch thick steel then heat treated to create a lustrous blue, purple and silver patina, the edition of 54 arrives mounted in a bespoke, white-washed solid maple frame. Developed and produced by Lamina, a new print house established by Brad Keech and James Jean, extensive hand-working and a unique surface finish mean that each relief could easily be considered an original artwork.

Slingshot Requiem (Relief)

Jolly Bear

The familiar and the strange merge exquisitely in Alake Shilling’s inimitable world — welcoming us to reflect on the boundless yet universal nature of human emotion.

The first of four characters in a series curated by Darren Romanelli, Jolly Bear is a sculpture edition made in hand moulded, frit-dyed porcelain.

Sculpture

Jolly Bear

Descendent Verdigris

Thwarting notions of time and place, James Jean collapses eclectic, culture-crashing references into enthralling fantasy. The motif of a free-falling figure recurs throughout his oeuvre, speaking to the idea of floating in between — untethered to any particular place or reality.

Descendent Verdigris, a bronze edition of 50, extends this analogy. Each sculpture is finished with a painstakingly hand-applied recreation of the blue-green patina formed naturally on the surface of oxidised metals; an innovative, multifaceted finish that echoes the character’s own liminal condition.

Descendent Verdigris

Maze Aurum

Thwarting notions of time and place, Taiwanese-American artist James Jean’s work collapses eclectic references into bright, enthralling fantasticism.

Maze Aurum realises in 3 dimensions the subject of Jean’s 2008 painting of the same name.

Maze Aurum

Standing with LUV (Small)

LY extolls droll wanderlust in greyscale scenes roamed by imagined character, LUV.

Standing with LUV is an edition of 50 bronze sculptures, hand-painted in the artist’s signature greyscale palette. In the work, ambiguously-coded creature LUV wears a hooded sweater emblazoned with its own likeness.

Standing with LUV (Small)

Amitabha

Zhang Huan’s provocative practice has seen him become one of the most influential Chinese artists of a generation.

Our debut collaboration, Amitabha, presents a rare opportunity for collectors to access his work. The cast copper edition reprises the form of Zhang’s seminal 2006 work, Buddha Hand — a monumental sculpture standing 4.5 metres tall, also made in copper.

Amitabha

Slingshot Saxum

Thwarting notions of time and place, James Jean collapses eclectic references into enthralling fantasy.

Slingshot Saxum draws its name from the Latin word for stone, continuing the lineage of preceding Aurum editions. In a quietly grotesque reading of Hammurabi’s law of reciprocity, the sculpture’s subject removes his eye and takes aim at an unidentified target.

Slingshot Saxum

Other words in the glossary

20th century art Abstract Art Abstract Expressionism Abstract Illusionism Abstract Landscape Acrylic Paint Action Painting African art

Afrofuturism Algorithm Antiquities Aquatint Art Nouveau Arte Povera Artificial Intelligence Artist Appropriation

Artist Commission Artist's Proof (AP)Assemblage Automatism Autonomous System Bauhaus Ben-Day Dots Biomorphism

Black Arts Movement Blockchain Built Environment Certificate of Authenticity (COA)Collagraph Conceptual Art Conceptualism Contemporary Art

Contemporary Performance Cubism Dada Digital Art Digital Print Drypoint Edition Edition Size

Engraving ERC-1155 ERC-721 Etching Expressionism Fauvism Feminist Art Film Positive

Hand-finishing Immersive Art Impressionism Installation Art Intaglio Printing Interaction Art Kinetic Art Land Art

Linocut Lithography Mesh Count Mezzotint Minimalism Modern Art Monotype Montage

Neo-Expressionism NFT Offset Lithography Op Art Open Edition Original artwork Outsider Art Performance Art

Planographic Printing Pop Art Post-Impressionism Post-Internet Printer's Proof (PP)Printmaking Proof Readymade

Reference Work Registration Marks Relief printing Reproduction Screen Fill Self-Portrait Silkscreen Site-Specific Art

Smart Contract Sound-on-Disc Stencil Printing Street Art Surrealism The Sublime Time-limited Edition Underground Art

VR Artwork Web 3.0 Wood Engraving Woodcut

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Start your collection with an edition

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Your questions, answered

We collaborate with artists to create both limited editions and works on paper.

A limited edition is part of a unique series of pieces. Limited editions are fixed in quantity, meaning we will only ever produce a certain number.

Framing options vary for each piece and are listed on the individual artwork pages. All pieces are framed with 90% UV acrylic glass.

Yes, 100%. We work directly with our artists to create editions that accurately represent their body of work. Additionally, every artist personally reviews and approves their final editions.

Each edition comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) signed by the artist. Additionally every edition will be signed, marked, or numbered on the edition itself.

Works on paper and some originals don't come with a COA.

No—the copyright is not transferred to the purchaser of the edition.

All the ins and outs can be found on our orders and shipping page.

Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.