Street Vendor Oil Paintings

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JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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I've checked out the archives and didn't learn alot, so posing this question:

We see all of these oil paintings in shops all around the DR. We see the same ones over and over. We also see these paintings sitting outside during the rain.

Some are from dominicans and some haitians (i forgot what the store owner said on how to tell the difference).

Anyway, are these mass produced?

Since we have a vacation home that we will be renting out, I don't want to furnish it with expensive items, and since I have liked some of these paintings, I am going to buy a few.

There is a gift shop on the right side of street in Cabarete that you have to walk up steps to get to that has paintings in an enclosed room. They are higher quality than on the street, in that there are actual brush strokes on the canvas, and just more attractive. They are also more expensive. Anyone know anything about these?

There also is a hardware store coming into Cabarete on the right that has absolutely gorgeous paintings for sale in the owner's office. They said the artist was very well known and the paintings were over $1000 (which I would never pay for a vacation house). Anyone aware of this?
 
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Golo100

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Jan 5, 2002
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street vendor paintings

Street vendor paintings are all fakes of well known Dominican and Haitian artists.

Any original oil or acrylic painting by a well known Dominican artist would go over $20,000 pesos in sizes over 20". Some Dominican artists require experts and specialists, since there availability would be rare. Jaime Colson, for one, would only be quoted in dollars. Colson is a cubist from the old original Picasso/Braque school. Prat Ventos would be another tough sell.

Among the most copied are Candido Bido, Urrutia, Gillo Perez and Dionisio Blanco. The reason for this is that they are just as easy to copy as Modigliani and DeChirico. They also paint very Dominican landscapes. For instance, Bido continues in this day and age to paint doves and peasants. His paintings are like unsophisticated chopo Boteros. His paintings are a dime a dozen and copies can be found anywhere. Even untrained artists can copy a Bido.

The best avant garde Dominican artists are found at Carmen Rita Art Gallery in Bella Vista. Expect premium prices, but high quality.

TW
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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JanH, if you like Haitian art, I can refer you to a dealer in Santo Domingo who sells only art by Haitian artists. And you will get a good price because you are friends of ours. We furnished our condo with paintings purchased from him. You won't find most of the paintings he sells in any street dealer's collection.
 
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JanH

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Excuse me for being persistent - but I just want to know the real story behind the street paintings.

Robert - you may be kidding - but i wondered if they were 'paint by number' because i saw a couple of good Botero reproductions. I also wondered if the paintings were made by taking prints and 'fusing' onto canvas - like they do in the states of famous artists.

Ken - can you remember how to tell the difference between haitian and dominican art? is it the way they paint people's faces?

Ken - we just can't risk furnishing that villa with expensive items - since we won't be there much - and renting it out some. But thanks for steering us toward the SD dealer anyway.
 
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MommC

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Mar 2, 2002
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When nicely framed.....street vendor paintings

can make a lovely inexpensive addition to your home decor!!

Make sure the painings you buy have no chips or cracked paint and a reasonably heavy "cloth" as canvas (usually the oilcloth tablecloth type material is best!).
Don't pay more than a couple hundred pesos per painting depending on size.
then have the painting framed, hang it and ENJOY!!
 
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JanH

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Thanks, mommc. We really did see some that would really compliment our house, even though they are 'fakes'.

Thanks for letting me know dollar amount that would be fair.
 
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JanH

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jazzcom - what were Golo and Robert talking about then? just the ones sold in the souvenir stores are fakes?

i didn't see the artists while at Sosua beach - wish I had. Do they have completed projects at the beach so you can buy on the spot?

I saw the artists painting at Boca Chica last year, but wasn't interested in buying then.
 
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MommC

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Jazz is correct JanH.........

these are hand painted on the streets (actually on cloth but you know what I mean) and are generally copied ad nauseum.
I have a lovely (well not so lovely anymore -it's 12 yrs old and needs to be redone) floor to ceiling, wall to wall painting on my balconey wall that features a beach scene with three ships sailing that I paid 1500 pesos 12 yrs ago to have painted by the guy with the little shack just down the street from us........
Too bad he's no longer there or I would have it spruced up!!
 
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JanH

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Thanks, mommc. I hope to catch the artists next time we're down in May.

If not, well, if I like one in the souvenir shops, i'll buy it!

Do you have all of yours framed?
 
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MrMike

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I would be interested to know if there is a supplier for the art and souvenir items generally sold on the beaches. Since all the shops carry pretty much the same things, there must be 1 or 2 main distributors that keep them stocked. Anybody know how to get in touch with them?
 
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Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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JanH said:
jazzcom - what were Golo and Robert talking about then? just the ones sold in the souvenir stores are fakes?

i didn't see the artists while at Sosua beach - wish I had. Do they have completed projects at the beach so you can buy on the spot?
Click to expand...

Well I can't speak for what they were talking about but these are NOT one of a kind oil paintings. Not quite paint by numbers but maybe close. They do the same repetitive crap over and over again and you see the same crapola done by different people in all the tourist towns.

You have to understand that these people make probably under 200 dollars US a month and doing that kind of stuff is easier work than landscaping. Just a job to most of those that paint for the tourist trade.

I once saw something that looked like the entrance to the market place on the beach to Sosua but couldn't find it in person. That was well done and I would have enjoyed having it.

I am not saying that there isn't a quality artist in the country, I am just saying you wont find them at the beach.

Escott
 
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Golo100

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Jan 5, 2002
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Final thought on this

Those who sell street paintings are simply craftsmen, not artists. To be an artist you have to have personal creativity, a sense of creation, imagination, innovation and great culture.

Even true Dominican artists lack some of these traits, specially imagination. The Dominican "masters" are in the minor leagues compared to American artists like Frank Stella, James Rosenquist, Kenneth Noland and L'enfant terrible Damien Hirst from Britain.

What you buy on the streets is the equivalent of buying mass produced ceramics and straw gifts at El Conde gift shops. If you pay over $300 pesos for any street painting you are being gypped.

TW
 
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sjh

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Jan 1, 2002
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I am no art expert but my personal opinion is that the stuff you find on the street might look nice hanging on a wall in the house.. I wouldnt value it at much more than that.

I went through about 500 paintings in Rio San Juan before I found 2 that looked like they we at least a one of a kind. They were not great paintings mind you, but they were at least unique.

The rest might as well have been printed posters..
 
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Golo100

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Jan 5, 2002
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Better yet

I would suggest that the next time you take a trip to Altos de Chavon try to find one of the art students in the area and negotiate buying an original painting from one of them. The students there are the future Dominican stars and are very talented.

TW
 
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MommC

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I have several hanging in the condo!!

All numbered reproductions of a "masters'".
Nice to know we've helped the "arts" and "culture" a wee bit!!
 
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JanH

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Golo - funny you mentioned Altos. We were there last Thanksgiving and bought an original painting from an artist "J. B. Morinene" I think that is what it says; hard to read the writing. He had just finished it a few days before we bought it. We brought it home and displaying it in our kitchen. Very vivid colors of natives standing among their harvest of vegetables and sugar cane. Their metal shacks in background. Lots of brush strokes. Natives have no features on their faces.

From your other posts, sounds like you are quite an artist expert. So, have you heard of this artist?
 
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