Why Buying Local Art Matters: Supporting Living Artists Over Public Domain Prints

I might have gone a little hard in my last article on Vincent Van Gogh. (Beyond 'Starry Night': Rediscovering the Soul of Local Art) I know he is a beloved artist who captured the same worlds I try to capture. However, we need to ask where the money goes when you purchase one of his prints or even an original piece.

After doing some research, I found that Van Gogh’s work is in the public domain. What does this mean? Much like film, music, and stories, there is a period where the publisher or creator retains all rights to their product. No one can reproduce that product legally without approval. Think Disney—they don’t own the original Cinderella story but do own the rights to their version and the animated film.

So, Van Gogh’s work being in the public domain means that "Starry Night" is free of copyright restrictions. This means that no one has to be paid except for the company that manufactures the product. When you buy "Starry Night" for more than $0, that money goes directly to the company, and the manufacturer gets a cut. There is no longer a living artist who needs that money to survive and feed their family—it goes directly to the pocket of the big company.

Now, I’m all for capitalism; everyone should be able to earn money legally. But this practice pushes out living artists who need the money. It’s easier to sell a public domain piece than one that is copyrighted to a living person, which pushes living artists out of the market.

I can hear people saying, “Your work is too expensive for a non-famous artist.” True, I grew up poor, and I know every penny counts. Art, in theory, is a luxury good, and buying from a non-famous artist can feel risky. So let me break down why my products are priced the way they are:

Creation: My supplies are expensive. I use high-quality paints—currently Lukas oil paints—and mongoose and natural hair paintbrushes. I prefer to paint on linen-stretched canvas, not to mention the hours and years I’ve spent painting and the education that went into it.

Manufacturing: I use a manufacturing company that prints and produces the reproductions, and this includes taxes and shipping costs.

Living Costs: This is my passion, my drive, the reason I wake up every day. I have had real jobs, and I’m not against having another, but the past few years I’ve desired to be self-sufficient and make my own money instead of relying on another company to give me what they see fit.

Why shouldn’t non-famous artists get money for their work? All these factors go into the price of my product. I try to keep costs down as much as I can, but I have a family to support. Trust me, I struggled with pricing for a while, but my wife reminded me that this work is unique and can only be found at matthewdyeart.com. Considering all this, I don’t think the prices are too bad.

In conclusion, take a chance and buy local art from real, living artists, not just reproductions of masterpieces in the public domain.

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If you're interested in transforming your space with unique, locally inspired art, I’m available for art consulting, graphic design, and illustration commissions. My art is also available for purchase at www.matthewdyeart.com. Let's beat art fatigue together and bring meaningful, captivating art to every corner of our lives.