What dictates the artwork choices on TV shows?

September 26, 2005 10:02 PM

Does anyone know why Russell Chatham's lithographs keep popping up on TV?

On the premier of House, two older lithographs, "March" from the Missouri Headwaters series, and "Summer Twilight" from the Puget Sound series, were displayed on the wall of the patient's room at different times within a short period. On Arrested Development tonight, I'm pretty certain a portion of "August" , also from the Missouri Headwaters Suite, was on display just over Harry Hamlin's head.

What gives?

posted by docpops to media & arts (4 comments total)

I apologize for the lack of links. I know squat about how to link and am open to being schooled.
posted by docpops at 10:03 PM on September 26, 2005

Whoops.


OK, here goes:
August

March

Summer Twilight
posted by docpops at 10:06 PM on September 26, 2005

It could simply be that the furniture for both shows' sets was sourced from the same rental-type place in LA.

If his work turned up twice on House, that probably just means that the set designer picked up several similar prints at a flea market.

It's also possible that an artist or an artist's management has some kind of relationship with a company or store that provides this kind of stuff to the trade--if they give the store (or whatever) a stack of nice prints for the store to sell, it wouldn't surprise me if their stuff turned up on TV a few times.

Noticing it on just two out of hundreds of shows doesn't really count as a massive conspiracy. YET! But keep your eyes peeled, docpops :)
posted by bcwinters at 5:19 AM on September 27, 2005

I would bet that Chatham has an agent who sends out free prints or offers them for free to producers and set designers.
posted by dhartung at 1:07 PM on September 27, 2005