Q I've been told a painting I have is an authentic Michael Parkes. It is uniquely framed and matted. The person who gave it to me has others and claims they are each worth $5,000 or more. I doubt that this one is authentic, but if it is, what is it worth? How do I verify it?
— Michele, Tucson
A Parkes is a contemporary American artist. His works include sculpture, paintings and prints. Born in Missouri in 1944, he is sometimes called a "hippie" artist because he once lived that life in India and other outposts.
Now established and living in Spain, Parkes is known for his fanciful imagery of dreams and magic. Works often include gargoyles, either flying or static.
Several art databases list auction results for him. On www.artprice.com, we see that oil on board paintings have gone to $15,000 and change. Another sold for about $8,000.
People are also reading…
But — and this is a big but — Parkes is also sold as stone lithography. While his labor-intensive paintings are rare and in high demand, lithographs produced in numbers are far more affordable. All savvy artists do this. Paintings go to the buyer with deep pockets; prints are for the masses.
Marketed under a registered name, Parkes' limited-edition color stone lithographs are sold only by galleries that represent him.
The unique matting and framing mentioned in the query is typical of gallery-sold prints.
Smart collectors know that, in prints, "original" is a slippery concept. A painting is easier to pin down: Only one is the real thing. Your gift print may indeed be an original licensed by Parkes, but it was produced as a multiple. See how it works?
To complicate matters, this print may be Parkes' work, but not authorized by the artist. Deepening the plot, the shakeout on value for unauthorized works is uncertain when the artist is still living. At that point, value and demand depend on the buyer, and can be based on a number of variables.
Note the gold banding printed directly on the paper. Parkes may never have authorized this pretty touch. Maybe so, maybe not.
A gallery that represents the artist can take a look and tell if it is an authorized print. Find one on Parkes' official Web site; they can work from your clear images. Offer to pay for the opinion. It's only fair.
As for the $5,000 quote, that seems like a gallery tag price. At auction, color lithos by the artist recently brought $491 and $703. On new goods, retail and resale are often worlds apart.
Q At auction years ago, I bought an oil on canvas painting by Oliver Houston that shows a Pilgrim family sitting down to a Thanksgiving dinner. How old is it, and does it have value?
— Cindy, cybercollector
A The only Oliver Houston with auction records was a California painter known for his 1930s marine scenes, many with battleships.
Since California art and artists are hot, check with a regional auction house — if intent is to sell. Or they can suggest an appraiser for the work.
If the artist is the one known for marine scenes, an atypical subject would sell for less.
» COLLECTOR QUIZ
Q: What factors contributed to the great video game crash of 1984?
1. Atari's failure to retire the VCS when the 5200 was released.
2. Lots of small companies entered the video games market.
3. Coleco's failure to properly develop its ADAM computer.
4. Consumers got tired of waiting for Atari's 2600 VCS's Pac-Man.
A: Choices 1 through 3 are correct.
Source: "Classic 80s Home Video Games" by Robert Wicker and Jason Brassard (Collector Books, $24.95), an identification and price guide on Atari, Coleco, Odyssey, Intellevision, Vectrex and more.