Art Producer "The beginning"

Ive Always enjoyed articles by bloggers and people who document their lives. They share their experiences and whatever they enjoy with everybody. I would like to do the same. My name is Richie Dela Merced, allow me to take you through the journey of my passions which is Photography and Sculpture.

In 08' I was a collector of Pieces of art produced by artists such as Bowen and companies like Sideshow to name a few. We were a very happy community of filipinos, just happy with the pieces we were able to aquire no matter how small or how humble our collections were compared to our international counterparts. We would always be in awe of what they would be able to make and enjoy their talents in sculpting and directing such pieces of beauty. We could only watch as we really could not afford most of the custom pieces they seem to make with flawless effort.

It all started with another collector who we will name as HM. HM is an extremely good artist and an exceptional Art Producer. Unfortunately he fell into a path that is very shady early in his producing life, RECASTING. Recasting is by definition, the copying of another persons art. He did this for a while, selling the sculptures to anybody who couldnt afford the originals. Everybody who collected in the Philippine community was oblivious to the reprecussions of how we would be percieved in the world collectors market in the future.

One ToyCon in 08' HM took his recasted wares and put them on display to sell. This was a display that would change the perception of filipino collectors everywhere. Someone was able to take photographs of the display and posted them on the net for all to see. The pics reached an International Forum where we as Collectors talk about our experiences. The forum goes by the name Statue Forum. The pics fueled a Scandal that dropped the Philippines as a group of people with no talent, that all they could do is copy what other countries do and sell them. We were all percieved as thieves. The sin of one, became the sin of ALL. This, for those that went through it, was a very dark time for us.

Every Forum that knew you were Filipino treated you as a misfit and a thief. They insulted who you were, without even knowing you and they repeated all the generalizations they have heard. Everywhere we filipino collectors went to share our ideas we were ridiculed. It was definitely a very dark time.