CHINESE ART GLASS KNOCKOFFS

Comment by Nancy Grimsley on March 25, 2011 at 11:43am

It would be great if you could post a link to an exact piece so we all would know what this buy sell looks like.  I did see an artist with large glass work in metal stands at a juried show a few weeks ago and he had pieces EXACTLY like ones I had seen at TJ Max.  So, I am not at all surprised by your post.

Comment by phillip hall on March 25, 2011 at 11:48am

Travis kind of pointed the way by taking pictures with his cell phone of b/s booths and posting them without comment. This allows feedback without worrying about lawsuits.  If you see a booth with obvious b/s take a shot with so called artist in picture and post.

Comment by Bill and Jon Slade on March 25, 2011 at 12:59pm

Nancy-google Viz art glass 200 plus pieces- Chihuly, Nowack, Hunting, Etner just  a few of the artists--Philip-Travis did nothing of the sort at Bonita-JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WAS AN AFI member- including myself- No Buy -Sell at Bonita--Barry Witt runs a great, high quality show- and the last thing I am worried about is a lawsuit from dishonest thieves.

Comment by MICHAEL ALAN STIPEK on March 25, 2011 at 7:29pm

If someone is selling Chinese ripoffs at a show and an artist turns them in and the ripoff artist threatens to sue, ask him/her for their import license.  It's against a federal law to misrepresent foreign artwork.  

That being said, has anyone photographed any of those booths?  Chihuly glass is being imitated or emulated by many genuine glass artists, but that doesn't mean that's a bad thing.  However, if it's an import, they should be tossed from a show.  Have a glass artist ask the suspected b/s person how their glass is made.  It should take a glass artist about two seconds to determine the authenticity of the work.

Two years ago, I discovered b/s people selling Chinese-generated photographs at several shows, but the show promoters didn't want to address the issue, even though I could prove that the persons involved didn't do the work (among other things, the b/s persons said the "enhanced" images came from China!). 

Comment by phillip hall on March 26, 2011 at 8:56am

 Bill, i was talking about Travis posting about the show in Austin last year. I didn't say anything about Bonita. I do not know where you got that from. The point i was making was , that it is possible to post pictures of a booth that is obvious buy/sell without comment and maybe find out where the stuff is coming from.

Comment by Larry Berman on March 26, 2011 at 9:06am

It's possible but it puts both the person posting it and the owner of the web site at risk of a law suit. You need the permission of the artist who's booth you are photographing to actually publish the picture, whether it's buy/sell or original work.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

Comment by Bill and Jon Slade on March 26, 2011 at 11:10am

Philip- Travis posted many photos from Bonita 2 weeks ago- Thought that is what you were referring to; Michael- Someone is making these knockoffs in China of many established artists. Currently their pieces have invaded the wholesale market at $20-$100 -I doubt the $5 an hour employee is in the states doing any selling presently at art shows--BUT  they see a market and they may take over that spot next to you from the girl with the glittery stings and painted bottle caps( the animated goof).. This is why Wendy Rosen posted this warning and is proceeding to do something to help protect our business. Larry - I am not a lawyer,but for the 20 to 50 people who snap a shot of our booth at a show how could anyone prove that no permission was given (unless written) . We don't even know who is shooting sometimes from a cell- we are way too busy selling-- we do stop the big lenses the best we can. And just bring on the dishonest thieves they don't stand a chance in any court- stealing is stealing-trademake,copyright infringement all against the law;  BUT ONE BEST BE POSITIVE so no lawsuit-libel etc can arise. 

Comment by Larry Berman on March 26, 2011 at 11:28am

It doesn't matter who takes the picture, but the owner of the forum is responsible for what's posted there and that's who will be the recipient of the lawsuit, as will the person posting the photo. Without a signed release you can't do anything with the pictures.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

Comment by Nancy Grimsley on March 26, 2011 at 11:57am

Bill....I checked out that site.  I had no idea that was buy sell.  Jewelers and potters have had to deal with the buy sell market for years but recently I have seen many other mediums copied.  While in a Chicago show last fall I saw exhibitors ( I won't use the word artist) pulling photographs of Chicago directly out of the manufacture's boxes from China.  At many of the indoor shows these people come with their sewing machines and "pretend" to be making the snakes, dolls or whatever crappy craft they are supposedly making themselves.  Now, they have tapped into the higher end market with large stretched canvases and huge art glass pieces.  I don't know about everyone else put personally I cannot sell at these shows which let in this type of work. These people clearly misrepresent themselves and it is impossible to compete with an item popped out of a machine at a gazillion a second or by child labor at a penny an hour.

 

As for a lawsuit from the photos, I too don't know about that.  When you take a shot of someone in their booth, they are on a public street in a public forum.  Also if you do not include their name then how exactly would a lawsuit arise.  Furthermore do you really think these exhibitors, void of green cards, would risk INS removal due to a photo you took.   Do you think when they take Lindsey Lohan's picture of her drunk and falling down they have her permission? 

Comment by phillip hall on March 26, 2011 at 12:07pm

 Nancy , that would be my take on this too. If you don't make an accusation, just a street photo i don't think it would be something to worry about.

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