Sunday, April 16, 2006

Da Vinci Scissored Where It Hurts

Da Vinci scissored where it hurts

Da Vinci Code merch reduces the Vitruvian Man to a Ken doll
Apr. 16, 2006. 08:09 AM
RAJU MUDHAR
STAFF REPORTER

It is one of the best-known pieces of art, but in the world of film merchandising, it’s considered too X-rated to appear intact on a T-shirt.

The Da Vinci Code movie is set to hit theatres on May 19 and like any blockbuster, there will be marketing tie-ins galore. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketch Vitruvian Man — which features a naked man superimposed with an extra set of arms and legs in a square and circle to illustrate proportion — is one of the central images being used on shirts, hats and other merchandise.

However, in the licensed version, he seems to be missing something, his — ahem — manhood.

In Canada, Gem-sen has exclusive rights to market Da Vinci Code apparel and accessories. The Concord, Ont.-based company handles licensed products for the likes of The Simpsons, The Sopranos, Playboy and many other entities. For The Da Vinci Code, the company is making hats, T-shirts, keychains and other items, many of which are decorated with a stylized “DV” logo and the neutered Vitruvian Man.

When asked about the tampering with a master’s sketch, Gem-sen president Sal Riina was surprised.

“The truth is, you’re the first person who even noticed that,” he said. “We didn’t realize it here until (an employee) came in my office saying, `Sal, did you realize that we altered the logo?’ It was all news to me ...

“All of the artwork and style guides came directly from Sony Pictures. We decided to use what was best for our customer base. From our perspective, it’s one thing to appreciate a piece of art in a gallery, but it’s something else to have it on a piece of clothing.”

According to an email from Jim Kennedy in corporate communications at Sony Pictures, scissoring da Vinci was a business decision.

“The art was G-rated for products so they’d be accessible worldwide. Those interested in the unrated version can find it in the Da Vinci gallery of our movie website.”

It’s certainly not the first time that people have been testy about testicles in art. Michelangelo’s David has been the centre of many controversies; a bronze replica of the sculpture at Forest Lawn Memorial Park near Long Beach, Calif., was adorned with a strategically placed fig leaf for 30 years until 1969.

What is interesting about Vitruvian Man is that the sketch is so ubiquitous; it’s among the art world’s most reproduced works. The drawing is often used in both science and art textbooks and even appears on the Italian version of the one-euro coin.

Changing such a hallowed sketch — even for a T-shirt — doesn’t sit well with one curator.

“If Vitruvian Man is perfect and harmonious because of the relationship between all of his parts, he’s no longer perfect without his genitalia. He’ll just look weird, like a Ken doll,” says Pamela Meredith, interim curator at The Power Plant gallery.

“They should have left it alone ... I highly doubt it would have offended anyone. It’s da Vinci, for goodness sake!”

Such criticism aside, Riina has high hopes for a long sales run for the Da Vinci Code merchandise.

“It’s a tough call. From our perspective, we hope it’s a wonderful property, but the problem with this kind of property is that it tends to be a very short-lived affair.

“We’re introducing product just before the film hits the streets, then we’ll have a second launch of products around the holidays, in time for the DVD release. Then (movie merchandise sales) tend to dip off. From a licensing perspective, at a retail level, we would love to see numbers of $1 million plus.”

However, considering Leonardo da Vinci’s popularity and how many copies the Dan Brown book sold, there’s always a chance the sales chart has a longer life.

“If the da Vinci artwork catches on, it could have some legs,” says Riina.

Legs, perhaps, but not what lies in between.



Posted by Admin on 04/16 at 06:52 AM
News • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Da Vinci Scissored Where It Hurts

Da Vinci scissored where it hurts

Da Vinci Code merch reduces the Vitruvian Man to a Ken doll
Apr. 16, 2006. 08:09 AM
RAJU MUDHAR
STAFF REPORTER

It is one of the best-known pieces of art, but in the world of film merchandising, it’s considered too X-rated to appear intact on a T-shirt.

The Da Vinci Code movie is set to hit theatres on May 19 and like any blockbuster, there will be marketing tie-ins galore. Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketch Vitruvian Man — which features a naked man superimposed with an extra set of arms and legs in a square and circle to illustrate proportion — is one of the central images being used on shirts, hats and other merchandise.

However, in the licensed version, he seems to be missing something, his — ahem — manhood.

In Canada, Gem-sen has exclusive rights to market Da Vinci Code apparel and accessories. The Concord, Ont.-based company handles licensed products for the likes of The Simpsons, The Sopranos, Playboy and many other entities. For The Da Vinci Code, the company is making hats, T-shirts, keychains and other items, many of which are decorated with a stylized “DV” logo and the neutered Vitruvian Man.

When asked about the tampering with a master’s sketch, Gem-sen president Sal Riina was surprised.

“The truth is, you’re the first person who even noticed that,” he said. “We didn’t realize it here until (an employee) came in my office saying, `Sal, did you realize that we altered the logo?’ It was all news to me ...

“All of the artwork and style guides came directly from Sony Pictures. We decided to use what was best for our customer base. From our perspective, it’s one thing to appreciate a piece of art in a gallery, but it’s something else to have it on a piece of clothing.”

According to an email from Jim Kennedy in corporate communications at Sony Pictures, scissoring da Vinci was a business decision.

“The art was G-rated for products so they’d be accessible worldwide. Those interested in the unrated version can find it in the Da Vinci gallery of our movie website.”

It’s certainly not the first time that people have been testy about testicles in art. Michelangelo’s David has been the centre of many controversies; a bronze replica of the sculpture at Forest Lawn Memorial Park near Long Beach, Calif., was adorned with a strategically placed fig leaf for 30 years until 1969.

What is interesting about Vitruvian Man is that the sketch is so ubiquitous; it’s among the art world’s most reproduced works. The drawing is often used in both science and art textbooks and even appears on the Italian version of the one-euro coin.

Changing such a hallowed sketch — even for a T-shirt — doesn’t sit well with one curator.

“If Vitruvian Man is perfect and harmonious because of the relationship between all of his parts, he’s no longer perfect without his genitalia. He’ll just look weird, like a Ken doll,” says Pamela Meredith, interim curator at The Power Plant gallery.

“They should have left it alone ... I highly doubt it would have offended anyone. It’s da Vinci, for goodness sake!”

Such criticism aside, Riina has high hopes for a long sales run for the Da Vinci Code merchandise.

“It’s a tough call. From our perspective, we hope it’s a wonderful property, but the problem with this kind of property is that it tends to be a very short-lived affair.

“We’re introducing product just before the film hits the streets, then we’ll have a second launch of products around the holidays, in time for the DVD release. Then (movie merchandise sales) tend to dip off. From a licensing perspective, at a retail level, we would love to see numbers of $1 million plus.”

However, considering Leonardo da Vinci’s popularity and how many copies the Dan Brown book sold, there’s always a chance the sales chart has a longer life.

“If the da Vinci artwork catches on, it could have some legs,” says Riina.

Legs, perhaps, but not what lies in between.



Posted by Admin on 04/16 at 06:52 AM
News • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages