Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Artist in trouble... BULL$#!T!
Man, I thought I was done postin' for the night... and then I read this $#!t. According to this news story, the artist, that created the now famous OBAMA/HOPE artwork, (Shepard Fairey) is in legal trouble because the Associated Press is crying about "fair use." As a montage artist that digs for images, much like a DJ digs for records, this really struck a cord. I mean... what the fuck is fair use, really? Who decides how much you have to change something in order for it to be considered "different" and who gives THAT person the right to make that decision. Art is 100% subjective! No ifs, ands or buts! Period! Now before some of you busters start rantin' down my throat... I am conscience enough to see the other side of this coin. If someone took my stuff, changed it and presented it as their own.... I just don't know. It depends. It depends on what and how much was changed. This is a subject that I've debated, talked about, argued about, got pissed about, got inspired about, questioned, fought for... the list goes on. The whole concept of "fair use" and the notion of changing art into another piece of art, is so gray... it's frustrating to say the least. Post a comment and let me know your feelings on it.
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you know, this sort of legal issue is always in the back of my mind because I can't afford to hire models for everything I want to draw, and like you, I mostly rely on photographs to use as models. I thought I was just paranoid being concerned about it, but I guess not.
ReplyDeleteConcerning Fairley's case though, I'm sure he'll win because he took virtually no profits and let anyone who wanted, use his image. Since he made no money off it, I don't know what they expect to gain by suing him. I wonder if he even copywrited his painting?
The case is also ridiculous because his interpretation of the photo is so different from the actual photo. He didnt do a photo realism interpretation-- where there I could see them being upset-- the colors, the placement, the slogan are so far removed from the actual picture.