Art

After the tour of the Musée de l’Orangerie and our discussion in class about ethically using artwork in gift shops, I was really excited to see the products that were being sold. The first thing that caught my eye was a pair of socks that looked like some of the artwork on display. I thought this to be ethically concerning. The socks were no printed very clear, so the artwork was very blurry and not anything like the original. While I understand that the socks were designed in an innocent way, we have to think about the original intention of the artwork. I then saw a set of coasters that showed three different art pieces. These looked very similar to the originals and didn’t overly distort the original. I think that this was ethically created because it still demonstrated the artist’s original intention.

I really enjoyed our time at the Orsay and Louvre museums. When we were in the Orsay, one of the exhibits that stood out to me was the architectural history of Paris. They had floor plans, initial sketches, and renderings of famous buildings in Paris which I spent some time looking at. I also loved the Edgar Degas ballet paintings and was mesmerized by details in the ballerina’s tutus. As someone that used to be a ballerina and an architecture major, this museum was my favorite. At the Louvre, my favorite part was seeing the Mona Lisa. We have spent so much time this summer discussing how the media consumes us and this was a perfect example. While everyone was in line to see the painting, everyone had their phones out trying to get the perfect shot. Very few people were just spending time actually looking at the painting. It has been an incredible experience getting to see such famous paintings in person.

One piece of advertised art I thought was ethically concerning was the Rubix Cube of famous paintings. While I believe it is a fun concept to “gamify” things to produce an alternate selling point, this type of advertising is insensitive to the artist and his paintings. This is because we are allowing people to rearrange the paintings and taking away from the point of the artwork itself. A piece of advertised art that was ethically created was things like plate wear. I believe these are ethically created because the point of those products is still to admire their beauty and construction while finding an alternate use. While of course, it does not compare to the paintings themselves, people can still appreciate the style and decor of these pieces. PR ethics, when it comes to museum art, should have top priority towards the artist to ensure that his or her creations are displayed correctly and ethically to their audience.

I thought these two museums were absolutely amazing to explore. While I thought the Louvre would be my favorite, I was pleasantly surprised by Musée d’Orsay. The impressionist artwork was stunning and the details of every brush stroke are incredibly admirable by the artists that practiced this style of painting. The layout of these two museums was so grand and unique, yet they were so different from one another. I found it very interesting that the Musée D’Orsay was inspired by Grand Central Station. I also loved learning about the special rooms in the Louvre which were used to host dinners and large gatherings for people of higher powers. They were decorated with luscious velvet and showstopping chandeliers, making me want to live there myself. I am so glad I got the opportunity to learn so much regarding the history of each museum and the artworks that decorate them.

I think that any recreation of an original piece of art is a bit sad because it takes away from the purpose of the authentic work. An artist spends lots of work and time to create something that is meaningful to them, for others to experience. I think replicating artwork offends that special process to an extent. Regardless, the media has made it so really any artwork we know about, we have seen a replica before the real work every time. I think that it reaches an unethical standard when art is replicated in ways that degrade its meaning. For example, I think that something like a hair-tie, preferably something else wearable like a t-shirt or a tote bag, is ethically produced because it still shows off the artists work in a way where it can be expressed and interpreted. However, something like a place mat seems disrespectful. There, the artwork has no purpose, and is covered by plates and spilled food. I can’t decide how I feel about the plates, because plates can often be art themselves.

Looking through the Musée de l’Orangerie gift shop, I found many beautiful and unique pieces. I found a journal that had a painting of Giverney by Claude Monet, and it was very well done. I believe it was ethically created because it displays Monet’s work in a respectful way that can be enjoyed by anyone. It doesn’t alter the image, it just uses it as the cover of a journal. I bought it because I intend to write poems in it and reflect on all the fantastic art I’ve seen throughout Europe. A piece I think is ethically concerning is the Claude Monet figurine that gives him a big head. I think it’s a little weird that gift shops always make bobbleheads of important people, but it’s especially weird because he’s an artist who isn’t alive anymore. He created that museum and all his art to show what he loved, and now we just make figurines of him with a big head. 

One souvenir that I found slightly ethically concerning in the values of this artist was the “soak me” bobble head of Claude Monet. He is reduced to a means to an end. He is no doubt known for his paintings of water lilies, but it could be argued that it isn’t ethically right to only refer to him with a water lily. He is an artist and should be taken seriously for his craft, so I think that this gift is almost making fun of him. The buyer has to actively put the figure into hot water to change colors and get the use out of the product but we can’t be sure that Monet would’ve wanted that as his legacy.

A souvenir that I found ethically sound was the plates. I even got one for my mom. The reason behind my thinking is that it’s not degrading the artwork but rather using it as a way to beautify an ordinary object. I could see it being questioned since the buyer would be actively using the plate to eat food off of it but I don’t think that printing the pattern on the dish ware cheapens the quality of the real artwork.

After visiting the Musee de l’Orangerie and the gift shop, I have some thoughts about gift shop items that are reproduction of the art. One piece that I found ethically concerning was a speaker with an image of Claude Monet’s water lilies on the front. I found this piece to be ethically concerning because Monet created the lilies to be a safe space of meditation, peace, and quiet. Blasting loud music from a speaker with the water lilies pasted on front is the opposite of what Monet created his water lilies for. If the speaker only played calm music, like classical or meditative music, then perhaps it would be okay, but this cannot be controlled after purchase. Some gift shop items that I found were ethically created are all the postcards. These postcards do not change the art in any way, other than sizing it down. These items do not affect the original meaning or creation of the art.

I thought our visit to the Musée de l’Orangerie was great! I loved Anne’s informative tour and, as a big fan of spaces with natural lighting, the museum itself was stunning. One asset that many museums have is gift shops, where replicated art is sold in the form of trinkets and souvenirs. When it comes to what was ethically recreated for consumers, I would side with the postcards. These were just replications of Monet, Picasso, and other artists’ artwork that didn’t hinder their original meaning or intention. For me, they captured the beauty of a painting and I feel artists wouldn’t feel offended by them. One item I wasn’t fond of because it was unethical in my eyes was the Claude Monet figurine. The product seemed frivolous for a store showcasing such important, beautiful artwork. For me, it didn’t provide any positive or real value to the artwork that was shown throughout the museum.

I believe that these post cards are ethically created. I think the exact replicas of the art does not cause any controversy in my opinion. I think this because the art is not altered or a parody of some sort. I think the people who are creating the post cards have the right idea of replicating the art so the audience is able to take a piece of it with them when having the real thing is very unrealistic.

The creation of the bobble head of Monet is ethically concerning to me. This is because I think that back in his time he never would have guessed that he would be turned into a bobble head for entertainment purposes. Another reason I think that it is ethically concerned is that he was turned into like a toy. He is worth much more than a bobble head figure in a gift shop that carries his most famous paintings.