Vincent Van Gogh was one of the least appreciated artists of the 19th century, yet has become one of the most famous artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, especially these days considering his artworks are no longer protected by copyright.

That's right, his artworks can literally be used, reproduced, and profited off of by anyone in the world now... but should they?

Today I want to share with you some of the ethical concerns I see arising from this wave of Van Gogh immersive experiences popping up in cities all across the US. I'm sure it will be a fun experience for those that choose to attend, but being an art history teacher and knowing so much about Van Gogh's last years and the suffering he endured, I have a few ethical concerns to share regarding this traveling exhibit that you may be interested in learning for yourself.

Here are the images I shared in the video. The first ones are Vincent Van Gogh and the last four are by his friend and notable artist Paul Gauguin who moved to Tahiti where he became known for painting the local women.

After watching the video, I would love to hear what you think of random companies being able to profit so heavily off of art they find in the public domain. While I think the ability to access old artworks, songs, and other creative accomplishments as copyright free and able to be built off of long after the artist has passed on is a wonderful part of our society, turning that work into an exclusionary event just feels wrong. Leave me your thoughts here or on the video comments!

7.4.2021