KGS Studios | World Heritage Missions "Turning Point" Collection

WORLD HERITAGE MISSIONS CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION, "TURNING POINT"

The San Antonio Missions became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015. Kevin spent two months in the late summer of 2015 creating a collection of Grand Scale Contemporary Art images. These hyper-realistic art pieces are presented in three limited edition collection sets of five images each.

Grand Scale - as large as 35' x 20'

Public Scale - 4' tall and 7-10' wide

Private Scale - 4' wide and proportionately tall

Each element of the Art Collection is a composition,containing up to 100 images. Using an 80-megapixel medium format technical camera with a custom gimbal and mounting rig, rows of overlapping images are created from a single point of view.

The result is an image that is composed like a single photograph or painting, yet has no loss of detail, and is massive in size. The viewer doesn’t perceive the art piece as a photograph, rather, a perfect painting, or a window opening up to the scene.

The challenge in a composition is to place the camera in the right place, at the right time, and then to capture all the images quickly enough before the light changes or the wind blows. Since all the images have to overlap perfectly, even a gust of breeze can render the set of images unusable for a big print. Afterwards, weeks of painstaking combining of images has to occur, and we must use a state of the art computer to make it possible in this time frame.

Once the image is perfect, it is ready to be printed. For the smaller two collections, we use the finest canvas, mounting, and custom frames available. Everything is museum grade, built to last for centuries. Finally, each of the smaller images receives a custom 22kt gold leaf nameplate attached to the frame.

The Grand Scale images are able to be printed and mounted on a myriad of surfaces, from glass to granite to steel, engineered for more industrial exhibits. These are perfect for public spaces as they have the durability to remain pristine in a more challenging environment than a museum or corporate lobby.

These are true artisan works of art, leveraging the composition of a master, and state-of-the-art technology. Standard photographs, even in high resolution, do not possess the detail of hundreds of images combined in one composition.

Fine Art Collection Brochure

This brochure in pdf format tells more of our story and provides you with additional background on the project.

Dimensional Information

This pdf page gives approximate dimensional information on the collection in each of the three sized editions.

Limited Edition Print Pricing and Terms

“Grand Scale” images range from 23 to 35 feet wide, and up to 20 feet tall. They are sold as a “print license” ($500,000 per set), allowing one full-sized print to be produced. If the image needs to be moved, the print may be destroyed or sold in pieces for charity. The license would then permit the printing and installation of another image. Management and royalty fee, 25%. This fee is calculated on the costs to engineer, manufacture, install and illuminate the Grand Scale image. Demolition costs to remove an image are not charged the fee, however, subsequent installations are charged this fee. Since the Print License is permanent, the fees are payable to Kevin G Saunders Photography Inc, DBA KGS Studios,
or its successors. In addition, a 40 x 66-inch commemorative composite is included, printed, and framed. This allows the purchaser to display “the story” in their lobby, independently of the actual prints.

“Public Scale” images range from 10 to 6.5 feet wide, and 4 feet tall. ($200,000 per set.) This includes premium canvas printing, protective coating on canvas, museum-grade gold leaf frames, 22kt gold leaf nameplate, and 40 x 66-inch commemorative composite printed and framed like the other prints.

“Private Scale” images are all 48 inches wide, and approximately 24 inches tall. ($60,000 per set.) This includes premium canvas printing, protective coating on canvas, museum-grade gold leaf frames, 22kt gold leaf nameplate, and 40 x 66-inch commemorative composite printed and framed like the other prints.

We offer custom installation, crating, and delivery upon request, with an additional charge determined per site.

Payment Terms: Due upon receipt. The project commences when payment is received for Public and Personal sets or print right fee received for Grand Scale set.

Lead time: approximately 4-5 months for Public Scale or Private Scale prints. Grand Scale timeframes will be developed based on each individual installation.

Here is a pdf file showing the pricing information above.

Strategy for Placement of Grand Scale Sets

The Grand Scale Edition of six numbered sets of the collection will define the brand of San Antonio for generations to come. While the Public and Private Scale sets are framed and portable, the Grand Scale sets are designed for public display and will be created as a custom installation.

While we have no direct knowledge of who will acquire the Grand Scale sets and where they will be located, we have some strategic thoughts that may help visionary people join us to elevate the dignity and brand of the San Antonio Community.

1) San Antonio Airport - The gateway to our community is the airport and it was always a goal to find a patron who would acquire the first Grand Scale set and have it placed at the San Antonio Airport as a free-standing permanent exhibit. The Perpetual Print License is for one copy of a numbered set but if it is a free-standing exhibit, it is possible to have a duplicate image on the backside. There is a logic behind this because each image is a different size and there are five images, an odd number. The walls of the airport are already spoken for but there is plenty of space in the middle of the space. If the exhibit needs to be moved (if a terminal is remodeled or expanded, for instance, the exhibit can be taken down which frees up the license to be used at another installation. This goes on in perpetuity. One other feature of the license is that the benefactor will be named in signage next to any installation of a Grand Scale Exhibit.

It is our opinion that the exhibition of the Grand Scale set at the San Antonio Airport is the "Crown Jewel" of goodwill-based branding for our community.

2) Sister Cities. San Antonio is twinned with twelve Sister Cities, to develop economic, cultural, and technical exchanges between communities. We believe that people exist who have the ability to acquire Grand Scale editions and donate to a Sister City in the name of a prominent and appropriate family, to strengthen the bonds and enhance San Antonio's global standing.

Here are the current Sister Cities:

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (Established 1953, first Mexican city to have a US Sister City)
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (Established 1974)
Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain (Established 1975)
Gwangju, South Korea (Established 1981)
Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Established 1982)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (Established 1983)
Kumamoto, Japan (Established 1987)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (Established 2008)
Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China (Established 2012)
Windhoek, Namibia (Established 2016)
Darmstadt, Germany (Established 2017)

If you know of a potential individual who could be instrumental in helping to facilitate the branding of San Antonio for this dignified and long-lasting project, please contact us.