Only little more than a year old, Los Angeles-based Maxwell Dickson is making quite the name for itself. The brainchild of entrepreneurs James Freeman and Bart Cooper, Maxwell Dickson is much more than an art reproduction studio.

The fledgling company has effectively blurred the lines of how art reaches the public, from creation to exhibition and print sales. Cooper provides the genius behind the Maxwell Dickson art brand, creating modern, urban artwork that is the mainstay of Maxwell Dickson’s line. Freeman is the brains behind the business, with a natural flair for marketing and finding the right avenues for Maxwell Dickson’s distinct style.

Freeman also prints Cooper’s paintings, which are actually “painted” on a Wacom digital tablet. Though Cooper can paint a physical canvas, his creations emerge instead on a computer screen. Freeman explains, “Digital creation allows us to work a lot faster than the traditional process of painting, scanning and printing. Plus, digital painting allows more color control and yields a piece of art that can be much more colorful. This method has also allowed us to quickly build up a large base of artwork to sell.”

The end result is a collection that is both accessible and unique. For instance, Maxwell Dickson art is sold at Overstock.com and is quite popular with a younger demographic. Overstock was not having a lot of success with in its art line with this younger demographic before the addition of Maxwell Dickson to the fold.

Freeman prints all the reproductions with a Canon iPF8300, which he bought from LexJet when he and Cooper first started the company. The primary print medium is Sunset Select Matte Canvas coated with Sunset Satin Coating, which Freeman has also been using since Maxwell Dickson opened for business.

“We install the profiles from LexJet, and that’s all we really have to do. I was amazed that it was so simple because I was under the impression that you would have to do all this color correction and buy all this software to get what you wanted out of the print,” says Freeman.

Maxwell Dickson does a smattering of inkjet reproduction work for photographers and digital artists on canvas, Sunset Photo eSatin Paper, Sunset Velvet Rag and Sunset Textured Fine Art Paper. However, the mainstay is the Maxwell Dickson art collection. Freeman likens the concept to Hallmark: “Someone designed the card, not under their name, but under Hallmark. This is not for traditional galleries, and they’re right because people going to art galleries are looking for originals. The market for art reproductions is massive. If you like the art, you can get the size you want in your room and it’s very affordable.”

The Maxwell Dickson line was recently represented at a gala exhibition in Los Angeles on Feb. 9 hosted by Nicole Murphy – model, mother, designer and soon-to-be reality star who’s also Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife. Called Art, Libations & Sound, the exhibition drew throngs of people to the doors. “Supporting Los Angeles’ young art community is a must,” said Murphy. “I’m excited to be hosting this exhibition with such an eclectic body of work.”

Maxwell Dickson and its creative entrepreneurial pair of Freeman and Cooper are certainly going places and bringing their art to both the celebrity set and the public at large, so keep an eye on them for years to come. To get a better sense of the exhibition, beyond the photos published here, check out the video below…