Village of reproduced paintings

Da Fen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen, China is apparently home to thousands of artists who primarily paint inexpensive copies of famous art works by the old masters and others. Over at CT2, Kevin Kelly posted a short riff on these "original hyper fake reproductions." From his post:

In China there is an entire village given over to making money by fake paintings. These are not counterfeits intended to deceive. No one is fooled into thinking the Van Gogh painting they just bought is painted by Van Gogh. Rather the fake is like a reproduced poster of Van Gogh. But since it has been painted by hand, often with gusto and intelligence, it is much more interesting than a duplication of the original. It is an original reproduction. It is a hyperfake.

Re-painting masters is a venerable activity.

Link

[#1 posted by Swanky , December 19, 2007 10:17 AM]

They do not just copy "old masters." Not long ago I found on Ebay (presumably) this group offering Tretchicoff's Blue Lady and other "kitsch masters" works. I was leary and didn't buy. Now I know who they are, I am more tempted.

[#2 posted by Cpt. Tim , December 19, 2007 10:38 AM]

hyperfake... supercool

[#3 posted by Resident Media Pundit , December 19, 2007 10:47 AM]

Reminds me of Orson Welles' "F for Fake" -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F_for_Fake
-- in which said Elmyr de Hory (of his forged masterpieces): "If they are hanged long enough in the museum they become real."

[#4 posted by haineux , December 19, 2007 1:27 PM]

I keep meaning to buy this: http://www.angel-art-house.com/oil_painting_details.aspx?ID=6083

Then again, there's this: http://www.angel-art-house.com/oil_painting_details.aspx?ID=10582

I guess I could also ask them to reproduce one of the blank pieces of paper that Dalì signed....

[#5 posted by adammetal , December 19, 2007 4:03 PM]

It's really rotten that American manufacturing has been devastated by wage slavery abroad. I didn't expect it to become a problem in the arts also.

[#6 posted by zuzu , December 19, 2007 4:40 PM]

It's really rotten that American manufacturing has been devastated by wage slavery abroad. I didn't expect it to become a problem in the arts also.

Agriculture and manufacturing are obsolete activities for modernized economies. Poor regions have far more comparative advantage to undertake these activities which are too unprofitable for people in the States to do but also more profitable than subsistence living elsewhere. Eventually all material production will be fully automated anyway.

The United States shifted into a knowledge economy almost immediately after the Second World War. Remember harnessing atomics, landing on the moon, discovering DNA, personal computing, international networking???

"American manufacturing" is a dinosaur and the meteor struck a long time ago.
Time for us mammals to start evolving our minds or go extinct.

[#7 posted by painterp , December 19, 2007 8:28 PM]

It's great to see that people can still get interested in work that catches the eye. It rarely seems to be for quality any more For work like that look at:
this article.

[#8 posted by martin_e , December 20, 2007 1:52 AM]

All true... I am writing this from Da Fen (大芬). Why buy a poster or a print when you can have an oil painting copy for the same price? Contact http://pix2oils.com if you want to buy any...

[#9 posted by Moon , December 20, 2007 6:54 AM]

Martin E, that website needs a LOT of work. The prices don't show up, for one.

[#10 posted by HOTDAMN , December 20, 2007 12:45 PM]

It would be great to see a bunch of close ups side by side.

[#11 posted by Quasimondo , December 20, 2007 2:37 PM]

I'm also using the services of chinese painters for a while now. Instead of making bubblejet (or Giclée since it sounds more noble) prints I have my generative art manually painted in China as limited editions from the pixel based sketches that my algorithms evolve:

Sketches:
http://flickr.com/photos/quasimondo/sets/72157600012158091/

Results:
http://flickr.com/photos/quasimondo/sets/72157600167730205/