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For many fans Elvis is all about his music. For others it is much more than that. He touches them in ways far beyond his music. The resultant impact is reflected in the number of fans who support Elvis tribute artists, those who amass limited edition collector plates or Elvis trinkets, and those who find strength and sometimes solace engaging in an increasingly religious type worship of the King. One area of growing interest is that of Elvis artworks. From the 1970s cartoon drawings of maestro Ger Rijff and the enduring pencil drawings of Betty Harper, to the the classic Americana of Howard Kincade, the interest in Elvis on velvet, and the stimulating contemporary fine art pieces of Kata Billups, there is literally an Elvis artwork for all tastes and budgets. It is an area which can be a rich and rewarding experience.....and a potentially confusing one! The variety of designs and styles is impressive, if not always visually engrossing. As an eclectic set of works many pieces will undoubtedly split fans as to their artistry, attractiveness and relative value. As they say: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". For those fans not interested in acquiring Elvis artworks there is also a robust and of online Elvis graphic artists, including Night Rider and EIN's regular contributor, Charmaine Voisine. Visit Charmaine's Elvis Graphics page Buying an Elvis Artwork There are several aspects to collecting Elvis artworks and it is often a very personal endeavour. Some fans collect pieces simply because they like them. Others will be looking for a fruitful, long term investment. In this respect there are several important questions, including:
The answers to those questions can be hard to determine, and as with other areas of the Elvis world there is a proliferation of artworks on offer. The decision to purchase as an "investment" should only be made after a lot of lead up homework! Caveat Emptor! (Buyer Beware) - the lesson of Elvis collector plates As a cautionary note we need think only of the once burgeoning area of Elvis collector plates. It is a sub-category of Elvis artwork, with potent imagery by artists such as Nate Giorgio and Bruce Emmet.
Elvis artworks today On 9 October 2007 EIN scoured what Elvis artworks were on offer on eBay and here is a cross-section of what we found, starting with an piece only the super rich (or a King) could afford:
There are currently also a number of interesting (and some not so interesting) Elvis artworks on eBay priced well below $1,000,000.00. They include:
Feedback Brian: You've got to be kidding! $3m for a piece of art that doesn't even look like Elvis. Cindy Jenkins: I have a lovely blue velvet print of Elvis. It takes pride of place on our lounge room wall. It only cost me $7.00. Margaret K: Elvis would turn in his grave at some of these art pieces. Cynthia: It has long been my opinion that the only way to portray Elvis through art is to keep it simple and stylish. Today too many artists complicate things by trying to put their own interpretation on Elvis and they destroy what made him so appealing. Beth P: I have collected the Elvis Collector Plates since 1992. I have more than 100 and still growing. I dont care if they dont go up in price, they have great sentimental meaning for me. Patrick (UK): All I can say is there are some talentless artists doing Elvis. A couple of the paintings are OK but overall they are fairly ordinary. I won't be rushing out to see my bank manager any time soon to buy the Leba painting. I might consider a loan though for one of Elvis' cars.
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