Video game art dealer from the Netherlands

[Maarten Brands]

Hi there you all,

I found this forum because of the Killzone Art collection we launched this week. Great site! I'm an art dealer at international art dealership Cook & Becker (http://www.candb.com). We specialize in digital art and art and artists from the games & entertainment industry. We exhibit and sell worldwide.

We work together with designers and studios to create special art collections and designer items and we have unique works and collectibles by video game designers such as Keita Takahashi (Katamari Damacy), Masaya Matsuura (Parappa the Rapper), Sony, Jesse van Dijk (Bungie Studios) and Maciej Kuciara (Naught Dog Inc.) to name some.

I thought I'd join to look around and to answer any questions you might have about our art and items. We only just launched so I'd really appreciate the feedback!

Thanks guys!

[Biggav4000]

Hi to the forum
I have taken some time to look at the website,they are some fantastic works of art there hopefully i may be able to invest in some in the future.
Enjoy your stay here

[Maarten Brands]

Thanks!

We always hope to have some stuff that will be affordable to a broad range of (art) collectors. However, with the prints for example we want them to last for over a 100 years AND the studio's/designers sign a contract with us that they can never be reproduced outside this edition. So, that yanks up the price a bit

The Keita Takahashi baby bodysuits are the most affordable we have atm. Also, I was looking around the forum to find the right thread to post this:

http://www.candb.com/en/artwork/52/vib-ribbon.html

They're statuettes from (in my view) one of the best/unique game designers in the world Masaya Matsuura. He created 50 statuettes for the 1999 cult game Vib Ribbon and he signed the last 9 for us personally.

http://www.candb.com/site/candb/cach...565_marked.jpg

[AndyTheCollector]

and enjoy your stay here! Amazing artworks I must say!

[Maarten Brands]

Thanks Andy! I can't believe I never found this site before

Oh, and I just remember we shot a video at the gallery last week where you can also see some stuff: http://youtu.be/0rJlx_dZsrQ

[mosavon]

Very nice Art, what is the shipping price like to the UK?

[Maarten Brands]

Ha, I can't really say at the moment unfortunately other than for this year we've made some deals with publishers and studio's to launch the art collection around the same time as the titles are released. Plus that we've made an effort together to create concept work and specially created pieces specifically for the art market (which means they need to make art at crazy high resolutions).

The Stahl Arms piece from Killzone was one of the first to have been created specifically for print for example. At 110 cm's wide, it's a large piece. Both the Guerrilla directors/founders bought one themselves, they liked it so much

Our focus is mostly on independent game artists and/or autonomous work but every year we'll do at least 5 big studio/game projects. Killzone for this year is our first. Late last year (when we launched) we did our first with Vanguard Games (of Greed Corps and Gatling Gears).

Also, buried to much in the site's ToU but we provide a 30-day return policy for buyers.

[toxicatom5]

Welcome to the community!

Can you tell me a little more about the Dibond Canvas with Liquid Gloss finish? This appears to be an upgrade as compared with the museum grade, but I have no real knowledge in this area (and don't fully understand based upon the information on the website); is the main difference durability/longevity? Or is the artwork more vibrant on the Dibond?

Any chance you could post a couple photos comparing the two finishes?

Lastly, any idea what the shipping would be to the US for the Dibond Canvas (say 12" by 24")?

I've been looking at these for a couple days and there is one that I would very much like to purchase, just need some more information to help me choose the finish option!

[Maarten Brands]

@Toxicatom

Great feedback, thanks! I agree that much information on the website must be presented more clearly. These sorts of comments help a lot, thanks!

The basis of every artwork is the Giclee print. These prints can be framed in a wooden frame (traditional), but we also mount these prints on Dibond plates.

The durability and the quality of the Giclee is the same in both instances (museum-grade). So there is no quality difference.

Dibond is what you typically see how they present high-end art photography. It is an aluminium sheet + composite flat surface that ensures the print can't 'bend'. It allows you to hang the print without a "frame". (our frame + dibond options are all 'ready to hang'. The glues we used do not impact the durability.

Personally, for digital created artwork Dibond it my preferred choice (although some people like the more traditional look of framing). When the print is back-mounted on the Dibond plate we pour a 100% transparant epoxy on the front (the liquid gloss). That needs to harden for about a week and then you have a glass like surface with rounded edge. It makes the work a bit more vibrant and 'deep'.

Here is a picture of a Dibond mounted print wih liquid gloss:http://www.candb.com/site/candb/cach...565_marked.jpg

A work with a black wooden frame is on the left: http://www.candb.com/site/candb/cach...565_marked.jpg

We offer a 30 day return policy but we have never have anyone not pleased with the Dibond/Liquid Gloss works

Shipping to the US would probably be about EU 75,-. The prints are delivered in custom packaging.

Any other questions, please let me know!

[toxicatom5]

Originally Posted by Maarten Brands

@Toxicatom

Great feedback, thanks! I agree that much information on the website must be presented more clearly. These sorts of comments help a lot, thanks!

The basis of every artwork is the Giclee print. These prints can be framed in a wooden frame (traditional), but we also mount these prints on Dibond plates.

The durability and the quality of the Giclee is the same in both instances (museum-grade). So there is no quality difference.

Dibond is what you typically see how they present high-end art photography. It is an aluminium sheet + composite flat surface that ensures the print can't 'bend'. It allows you to hang the print without a "frame". (our frame + dibond options are all 'ready to hang'. The glues we used do not impact the durability.

Personally, for digital created artwork Dibond it my preferred choice (although some people like the more traditional look of framing). When the print is back-mounted on the Dibond plate we pour a 100% transparant epoxy on the front (the liquid gloss). That needs to harden for about a week and then you have a glass like surface with rounded edge. It makes the work a bit more vibrant and 'deep'.

Here is a picture of a Dibond mounted print wih liquid gloss:http://www.candb.com/site/candb/cach...565_marked.jpg

A work with a black wooden frame is on the left: http://www.candb.com/site/candb/cach...565_marked.jpg

We offer a 30 day return policy but we have never have anyone not pleased with the Dibond/Liquid Gloss works

Shipping to the US would probably be about EU 75,-. The prints are delivered in custom packaging.

Any other questions, please let me know!

Very, very helpful! Thanks for the info!