I love art that thinks beyond the canvas. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a good art student—I appreciate paintings. But what I was drawn to over and over again while wandering around the LA Art Show this weekend, were the beautiful posters and prints that were on display in the modern and contemporary sections. 

Part of it is the design. Posters and prints have a clean, graphic quality that paintings can’t replicate. Another part is that posters and prints, because of what they say and where they’re displayed, have enormous potential for communication and social influence that goes beyond what a painting cushioned in a gallery or museum can achieve. And the most significant part, perhaps, is my admiration for the way posters and prints distribute and democratize art by existing in large, affordable quantities. 

The first poster mecca was the Reel Poster Gallery, a London-based company that specializes in vintage movie posters. Vintage posters, a representative from the gallery explained to me, are a particularly special form of art because they were printed on simple paper—they were never meant to last through the ages. Before 1976, movie posters were stored folded flat instead of rolled in a tube, which created detrimental crease marks on many specimens of the era. Because of this, the posters that did last are extremely valuable. 

The highlight was a set of five Ocean’s 11 posters from 1960. Five column-shaped posters feature close-up shots of each of the movie’s stars. The tightly cropped portraits, coupled with bold colors and typography, make a strong statement that fits with the movie’s sense of daring and adventure. There are only three complete sets left in the entire world, making this pristine condition set extremely rare and valuable.

Then I wandered into the Modern & Contemporary section, where I found Stoney Road Press, a “publishing and editioning house” based in Dublin, Ireland. David O’Donoghue, whom I met at the show, helps fine artists convert their works into limited edition prints. I’ve always wondered how, exactly, a painting is made into prints, so I asked Mr. O’Donoghue to give me the basics. Prints of modern art, he explained, are not so much replications of the art, but rather interpretations that try to capture the artist’s “sensibilities and gestures.” At Stoney Road Press, “The studio for each artist is reinvented”; they work with each artist individually to develop a printing technique that captures the essence of their works. For some artists, this might mean printing with several intaglio plates, layering ink to create the effect of layered paint. Others use inventive materials and techniques to capture a specific texture.

One mixed media print was particularly special. For his “Portrait of Marcel Duchamp,” Brian O’Doherty drew not the face of his subject but instead the beats of his heart. In 1966, O’Doherty, a former doctor, invited Duchamp to his apartment to have his portrait done. When Duchamp arrived, O’Doherty hooked his unwitting subject up to a cardiograph machine and proceeded to take a reading of his heartbeats. What makes the piece really eerie is that Duchamp died a year later of a heart attack; in looking at his last portrait, a trained eye spots troublesome heartbeat patterns that predicted his demise.

The third print booth I found was London-based Paul Stolper, another publisher dealing in modern art. But this firm, instead of translating existing art into prints, produces prints with original concepts. The print itself is the work of art, not a reproduction of something else. Paul Stolper uses cutting-edge materials and techniques to create artworks that push the boundaries of the printmaking field, creating dynamic, graphic images. 

My favorite was Damien Hirst’s 2013 “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.” It uses lenticular printing to create an image of a shark in a tank that looks different from all angles. Hirst uses this old technology in a new way to explore three-dimensionality, creating an experiential piece that plays with the viewer’s sense of depth. 

The best part of the show was talking to the gallery owners, all of whom were wonderfully friendly and willing to share their passion for print. It was worth the trip many times over to talk with people who are so enthusiastic about their trade. 

If printing piques your interest, USC Roski offers great intro-level design and printmaking classes. Or try this book, which was my first foray into printing and a good place to start.

Gigi Gastevich is a staff reporter who really likes prints and posters. Say hi here.