My boss is considering offering this service to our customers. The idea is that you can have a copy of a masterpiece or a painting of a personal photograph painted by "famous chinese artists." The company he would be ordering from is at www.ywcollection.com. What I'm looking for is reasons why this is not good for the bottom line. Also, does anyone know anything about the working conditions in these types of factories?
oil paintings made to order in China
- Thread starter Rysley
- Start date
Famous Chinese artists, my big feet. No offense to you, Rysley: I'd sell them, too, but "famous artists" I'd doubt. While in Atlanta and cruising the oil vendors, one of them pushed this service. You could have anything you wanted whether from a photo, another piece of art, or your imagination.
I'm not sure of the relevancy of the wage paid to these painters, but you could probably say you had an "original", could you not?
We do need to stay flexible in our thinking, don't we?
I'm not sure of the relevancy of the wage paid to these painters, but you could probably say you had an "original", could you not?
We do need to stay flexible in our thinking, don't we?
I don't know that I would promote them as "originals". However, they are "handpainted". Actually, they were a little better done than that painter from California.
They were pretty cheap in Atlanta, too. Some as low as $5.00.
[ 10-07-2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: MatFramer ]
They were pretty cheap in Atlanta, too. Some as low as $5.00.
[ 10-07-2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: MatFramer ]
printmaker
CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
I think this is another wonderful opportunity to support business interests in China. After all, their struggling economy needs all the job creation opportunities that we can supply them...
Also we can be certain that the working conditions of these famous artists compare favorably with the finest studios in North America.
There is no downside to this, whatsoever, cried Chicken Little.
soho
CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
Personally I think that the wholesale import of Chinese cheap art is disgusting...one step below Thomas Kinkade! Watching people carry away foot thick rolls of this junk at Atlanta and other shows made me cringe while legitamite artists were standing in their booths looking very lonely.
These paintings are for the most part terrible and continue to undermine really talented people who are trying to earn a decent living making art. It is bad enough that I have to put up with tasteless jerks coming into my gallery trying to match a painting to the fabric on their grandmother's pillow. Now they can bypass me entirely and pick up a real beauty that only costs $75 bucks retail at the "Starving Artist" sale at the airport Hilton!!!
No I will never sell them...and worst of all my guess is that the famous Chinese artists are probably starved, tortured, and paid 2 dollars a year to do these fine works of art.
Maybe before they are allowed to sell at our trade shows the FTC shoould look into how they are "manufactured!!
Instead of pumping our hard earned cash into the Chinese economy why not give a little to our economy. (Then there's that 87 Billion going to Iraq)
There...I feel much better now!!!
These paintings are for the most part terrible and continue to undermine really talented people who are trying to earn a decent living making art. It is bad enough that I have to put up with tasteless jerks coming into my gallery trying to match a painting to the fabric on their grandmother's pillow. Now they can bypass me entirely and pick up a real beauty that only costs $75 bucks retail at the "Starving Artist" sale at the airport Hilton!!!
No I will never sell them...and worst of all my guess is that the famous Chinese artists are probably starved, tortured, and paid 2 dollars a year to do these fine works of art.
Maybe before they are allowed to sell at our trade shows the FTC shoould look into how they are "manufactured!!
Instead of pumping our hard earned cash into the Chinese economy why not give a little to our economy. (Then there's that 87 Billion going to Iraq)
There...I feel much better now!!!
Reynard
MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Famous Chinese artists 
As long as they arte sold as the cheap crap they are then nobody can complain.If they are sold as some kind of original with a bit of prestige behind it then thats a problem.There are plenty of folks out there that will prey on the general publics ignorance of the art world with these sort of paintings.
There is no point in bleating away about how awful it all is when there are so many folk out there promoting other rubbish like giclees and limited edition lithographic prints as investment opportunities.
I would imagine that the working conditions will be slightly better than standing up to your knees in a paddy field.
[ 10-08-2003, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Reynard ]
As long as they arte sold as the cheap crap they are then nobody can complain.If they are sold as some kind of original with a bit of prestige behind it then thats a problem.There are plenty of folks out there that will prey on the general publics ignorance of the art world with these sort of paintings.
There is no point in bleating away about how awful it all is when there are so many folk out there promoting other rubbish like giclees and limited edition lithographic prints as investment opportunities.
I would imagine that the working conditions will be slightly better than standing up to your knees in a paddy field.
[ 10-08-2003, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Reynard ]
Whynot
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
As much as I hate to say it, not many can resist the frontal assault of good or even poorer taste/quality works sold for much less money. If one does resist that trend, many others will not and, rather sooner than later, costumers will ask for that "novel", good looking less expensive piece of "art"...
When you buy a cheap can opener or plastic molding made in China is no different. Both do their job and consumers can't care less of how much a Chinese worker was paid for, in what conditions he worked, or what really came of the American worker who used to make those products before being imported from some third world country...
Besides, acceptable oil paint reproductions do require true talent, art education and hand labor to be realized. How come those paintings deserve less appreciation than all those posters, needle-works, or botanical repros that keep you busy, and the cash flowing your way? If cost is a problem, Chinese entrepreneurs can fix it by way of stepping up their profits. If artists payment is at stake, I remind you that many of today much venerated painters sold their work for food or paint...
[ 10-08-2003, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: American Choice ]
When you buy a cheap can opener or plastic molding made in China is no different. Both do their job and consumers can't care less of how much a Chinese worker was paid for, in what conditions he worked, or what really came of the American worker who used to make those products before being imported from some third world country...
Besides, acceptable oil paint reproductions do require true talent, art education and hand labor to be realized. How come those paintings deserve less appreciation than all those posters, needle-works, or botanical repros that keep you busy, and the cash flowing your way? If cost is a problem, Chinese entrepreneurs can fix it by way of stepping up their profits. If artists payment is at stake, I remind you that many of today much venerated painters sold their work for food or paint...
[ 10-08-2003, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: American Choice ]
How many of us are really discriminating art sellers? Certainly the masses only care if it matches their couch, so why not sell them a Chinese oil copy instead of a Thomas Kincade?
What’s better… a canvas transfer?
Of course, you could try to support your local artist? Naaaaa!
What’s better… a canvas transfer?
Of course, you could try to support your local artist? Naaaaa!
Reynard
MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Cornel,I doubt anyone disputes the talent these painters have.Some of the paintings are not that bad really but people are getting ripped off thinking that they are in some way going to be of any value one day.They simply won,t be.
I have a customer who is the british military attache to Moscow and his job takes him to some pretty obscure places.He regularly brings me paintings that he picked up for pennies in places like Mongolia.These folks are talented painters but unfortunately they will probably never get the finacial reward that their talents deserve.
Life sucks doesn,t it?
I have a customer who is the british military attache to Moscow and his job takes him to some pretty obscure places.He regularly brings me paintings that he picked up for pennies in places like Mongolia.These folks are talented painters but unfortunately they will probably never get the finacial reward that their talents deserve.
Life sucks doesn,t it?