More Economy Rioting

There was chaos in Paris and trouble all over France as citizens protested the government's handling of the global economic crisis.

Marchers threw bottles and overturned cars in Paris. Flights were cancelled, train and bus service were impacted as workers went on strike, demanding action from the government. Unions say 2.5 million people rallied across France. The government puts the figure at a million.

Most of the anger is directed at President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seen as sympathetic and helpful to business, while not helping citizens who are increasingly desperate.

Do you have any doubt that this is just the beginning?

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/71c25576-eda6-11dd-bd60-0000779fd2ac.html

Paris Becomes Walmart

Not sure if this is a recession related phenomenon, but it sure is a shift.

When you dream of running away and becoming an artist, that vision must include a cigarette, a beret and a friendly community of starving artists on the streets of Montmartre. Ah, Paris. The grungy center of the civilized universe, where I sat at a little cafe table sipping cafe au lait and watched the Parisian rats running along the cobblestones and under the sidewalk. It's beautiful with the kind of beauty that's real - even more beautiful because it's so imperfect. Part of its charm is its reputation as a haven for creativity.

But now souvenir shops set up near Montmartre are slicing into sales of art by Parisian artists. There are three hundred officially registered artists there - and they're competing with mass produced Chinese pictures that sell for a fraction of what they have to charge to make any money at all.

A BBC reporter asked the souvenir shops where the paintings came from, and it took a bit of persuading to get them to admit that yes, the paintings were from China. And some of them even touch them up themselves!

It's a tough economy. But buying rip off, assembly line art is a bad call on every level. Do you want your money to support a factory or an artist? Would you choose a bigger, bad piece of art over an exquisite small one simply because you have a lot of wall to cover? Do you want bad art in your life?

Thanks to Art News Blog for this one.