TV subliminally helping us?

[Flotsam]

A while back I was watching the detective show "Monk" and noticed that his apartment is decorated with B&W Photographs. Mostly of graphic Still-Lifes or Landscapes in wide White Mats and thin Black Frames. As I watch more TV Dramas and sit-coms, I notice that almost every apartment or home set is decorated copiously with Art photographs. It is one of those things where once you notice it, you can't not notice it ever again.

My question is: Is this a big current decorating design trend?
And if it is, How come we aren't all fantastically wealthy and worshiped as gods by those mere mortal non-photographers?

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Commercials too.

They probably just rent them for the set. Joe Bloe and John Que public probably doesn't even notice what's on the walls...

Murray

 

[copake_ham]

You're NOT fantastically wealthy yet and have no temples erected to honor you?

Slacker!

 

[Pinholemaster]

I am.

 

[ann]

this has been going on for years.

 

[winger]

just flip through a Crate and Barrel or POttery Barn catalog - that's where they get them. Soap operas, too.

 

[Richard Boutwell]

I remember a few episodes (maybe a whole season) of Mad About You where there was Edward Weston's Shell at Point Lobos from 1931. Has anyone else noticed this?

Why aren't we all ridiculously wealthy off licensing or images? Getty and Corbis are two reasons.

There is a trend in hotels decorating with "fine art photographs." On the recent trip back from Louisville we stayed in a Hampton Inn (the only room in town). There was a small 5x5 picture on every room number placard. I commented that the outrageous price of the room was due to the hotel having to license hundreds of photos to use at every doorway.

 

[wildbill]

They do rent many of them. The paintings are always rented and insured for the value. On my show, the set decorator puts up his poory produced b+w inkjets all the time. The same prints move from restaurant locations to the stages from episode to episode. The paintings he rents are usually very nice pieces that i'd like to own myself. I only know of one women in my local that rents out her work and does pretty well with it. I've been meaning to speak to her about it.

vinny

 

[tjaded]

just flip through a Crate and Barrel or POttery Barn catalog - that's where they get them. Soap operas, too.

Interesting thing about Pottery Barn...they are still shooting A LOT of film for their catalogs. A LOT.

 

[ann]

Nordstrom's has a lot of photos, all black and white in the women's dressing room. Not great but none the less there they are.

 

[MenacingTourist]

Art Directors and Set Designers have good taste (at least they're supposed to). Kind of in the job description.

George Lois, a famous old school ad man from the original Doyle Dane Burnbach team, said he would never trust an opinion from a client (or anybody) regarding taste until they showed him thier living room.

I know, the above is kind of useless information but I gotta use the one remaining factoid I retain from my history of advertising course

 

[Kino]

The McDonald's owned "Chipotle" americanized-mexican food restaurants have large b&w photos on the walls; generally abstract shots of their brushed stainless and galvanized steel motif decorations.

It is generally competent work and they DO appear to be real silver prints, not inkjet...