Reproduction: Lessons from the Music Industry

One of my quiet revolutions against the world of high fine art is my case for the legitimacy of reproducing your work for mass appeal and affordability. Many artists feel like reproductions undermine their legitimacy as an artist, somehow cheapens their endeavors and commercialize their work into a world that somehow isn't 'art'. When approached about having a painting printed with giclee on canvas or paper, or a poster made of a painting, or even something more progressive like a laptop or ipod skin - most 'high' artists would be repulsed.

Here is my argument based on the way the music industry works: If artists only ever showed their work in galleries - it would be as if musicians only ever shared their music at concerts. Let me clarify: if music artists treated their music the way some artists treat their work, they would not produce CDs, MP3s, or DVD's. They would not host fan sites or make appearances. If this is the way musicians operated: no one would know who they are. No one would hear their music.

Talking about this idea of 'legitimacy': if you as an artist do not put work into making your work accessible, your work will not be seen and where will the fruit of all your artistic passion be? By accepting this idea of artistic legitimacy - artists are in fact working against their own cause by making their art inaccessible to all but the people that may go into the gallery.

Treating visual art the way the industry treats the musical arts - let's have more dialogue about how an artist can create a social community around their work. Let's talk about producing reproductions so that more people can see the work. Let's talk about events beyond the gallery like spontaneous public art exhibitions. Let's talk about creative ways of distributing art and reaching a market of people who appreciate your work.

When it comes down to it in terms of creating value for your work and for yourself as an artist - the Mona Lisa is as valuable as it is because it is a mass produced image by a well publicized artist and if it was not - then it would have faded into obscurity like many of the artists of his time. Creating an environment where many people can see the work is not undermining to you as an artist - you are creating value for yourself.