Van Gogh From the Sweatshop

A cottage industry of artists making cheap knockoffs of famous paintings transformed a Chinese village into an art factory. Estimates suggest that the suburb of Shenzhen’s community of 10,000 workers produce about 5 million works of art each year. The finished works head off to retailers around the world, from Wal-Mart to galleries. The studios even accept custom orders: Art buyers can request Van Gogh’s sunflowers in purple rather than yellow or “The Last Supper” with the faces of relatives imposed. The Chinese entrepreneur who started the reproduction industry is disgruntled, because artists have splintered off, starting their own studios. A former student even plans a factory with an assembly line, speeding the process even more, with individual workers each trained to add a specific color or detail. Copying an idea is easier than copying the art itself. – YaleGlobal