Chinese Reproductions Flooding the Market

There was a recent story in the NY Times about reproductions of paintings being produced in China. A 26 year old artist has made 20,000 copies of van Gogh's works. In addition to copying masterpieces, these artists are painting scenes they have never visited, such as Paris and Venice. And they paint them over and over again.

China is apparently turning out tens of thousands of graduates from their art schools and the students are desperate for work. Most of these mass-produced pieces are being sent to the United States, last year over $30 million worth. So, who's buying them? Major retailers like Pier 1 and Bed, Bath and Beyond, along with internet galleries. A major end market is coming from the second home real estate boom. Another is restaurants.

So, why is this information important to you as a collector? These mass-produced pieces, I can't really call them works of art, are selling for up to $160 a piece. If you look at our website, there are many fine, one-of-a-kind paintings in that price range, some even less. These artists are thoughtfully creating each piece, building on a lifetime of experiences that they want to document, or because they have a message they feel an urgency to convey. You shouldn't buy visionary art because its "cheap." You buy it because it moves you, because it literally pulls you in and you don't know why. Or, you simply like it, perhaps because it makes you smile. And, unlike the canvases coming out of China, you certainly won't see your piece hanging on someone else's wall.