Do Reproductions Devalue Original Artwork?

Twilight Rhapsody
20 x 20 Acrylic on canvas  $995.00

Over the last few years I have heard a lot of comments about reproduction prints of artwork devaluing the original paintings.  "Why would you want to buy a painting that has a had lots of reproductions made of it?" is the cry, and "I wouldn't want to see the lovely painting I bought as a cheap reproduction in Walmart!"

With the advent of POD (Print on Demand) sites like Fine Art America I expect that I will hear these comments more frequently however I disagree and here are my reasons.

Think about the Mona Lisa.  How many zillions of copies are there of that painting in the world?  Do you think these countless copies devalue that?  Of course not, it actually makes the original more valuable. If I bought a painting that I loved and then it was reproduced and became so popular that it was in shops and homes everywhere, I would be absolutely delighted and proud that I had the "original".  It's value in monetary terms would have increased and I would feel very good about my decision to have bought that artwork. An original is always special and unique.  Feel very happy if you own an original and never feel that a copy made of it takes anything away from that specialness.

Not everyone can afford original artwork but they may love an artists work and want to feature it in their home.  Art should be for everyone to enjoy and not just for those who can afford original work. 

How do you feel about this?

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I Feel the Power - Can You?



BC Museum of Anthropology

I just spent two weeks in the beautiful city of Vancouver and with the mountains and sea it reminds me of NZ where I am originally from. Last time we were there some 18 years ago, we went to see the BC Museum of Anthropology and because we enjoyed it so much we decided to go again.  Along with artifacts from all over the world they have a huge collection of First Nation Art all displayed in the most wonderful setting. As an artist we tend to think of art as a painting to hang on the wall or a sculpture to place in a room but art for many people was, and in some countries still is, an important part of their belief system and central to their culture and religion.  The power of this type of art is amazing and in their presence you can feel this power really oozing from them!

This got me thinking about art in today's world.  Many artists that would, in other cultures and times, have been making religious or cultural work now work in special effects for movies, animation, advertising, architecture etc and they do amazing work and all reflective of our cultural times.  We are surrounded by work of this kind but don't often stop to appreciate the skill of these artists who for most part go unknown. This work has it's own special power to influence and shape our ideas but I wonder will it still have any power in the centuries to come.

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