While her Arrested Development castmates have been in the news for sexism in the workplace, which culminated in an incredibly emotional New York Times Interview, Portia de Rossi has left acting behind and has launched a new company. "Returning to her earlier passion for art and of making art accessible to the masses, she worked with Fujifilm to create a machine that implements 3D technology into reproducing artworks." Called the Synograph, which she named for the synergy between art and technology, the final result is an art print that retains the dimensions and textures of paint. Essentially, this process updates the classic poster reproduction and retains the artist’s hand in their artwork.

Since paint application is integral to modern and contemporary art, this is a big leap in art reproduction, meaning that her new company, General Public, has the potential to revolutionize the contemporary art market. Revolutionizing the art world was central to de Rossi’s mission, telling artnews, 'As an artist myself, I have watched every other art form use technology to cut out the middleman, democratize art, and empower the artist. For example, the printing press and the internet have revolutionized writing; the phonograph and the MP3 have revolutionized music. And yet painters’ careers are still controlled by gallerists. I want painters to have the ability to sell editions of their paintings to maximize their profitability. I also want the folks who really appreciate these artists to be able to own and enjoy their works as the artist intended them to be enjoyed and not just the wealthy few.'

Since the works are reproductions, rather than authentic paintings, General Public’s artwork comes at a significantly lower price than most works available in galleries; the prices of the work sold ranges between $300 - $3,000, but averages about $1,000. Though the price point of these prints don’t make art accessible to all, it still bridges a massive gap in art buying.

General Public’s textured reproductions lower the cost of owning high quality art while providing greater support to contemporary artists.

Consumers aren’t the only people who benefit from the development of de Rossi’s technology and company; General Public’s motto is ‘support artists, not art’. Not only do General Public’s textured reproductions lower the cost of owning high quality art, but also provides greater support to contemporary artists, who receive royalties from each copy sold. Though the artists only receive 5% in profits per print sold, the nature of the synograph allows for infinite copies of the work. Also, when General Public copies an artist’s work, they only maintain the rights to that piece, which the artist can still possess but can’t alter in any way. This means that the artist retains the freedom to create more artwork, which they can choose to submit to General Public or place into the traditional gallery system. Potentially, this process and its royalties can give artists the ability that only grants traditionally do: the freedom to allocate their time to creating more art.

General Public artwork is available online or at Restoration Hardware. Visit generalpublic.art to learn more, buy work, or submit your own.

Charlotte Kasper is an Art History and American Studies double major at Wellesley College, interested in pursuing a career in academia or museums. Aside from art and writing, she loves watching comedy specials, enjoying time outdoors, meditating, and listening to music.