05/26/2008 06:58:18

Hi Fearless Barbara!
It is no wonder that artists have become paranoid about someone stealing their work. There are some folks out there who do plagiarize, but more often it is unscrupulous corporate Madison Avenue types that see your idea and then uses it to make money in an ad campaign or magazine article. It happens. -- It often happens without most artists even knowing about it. Now there is this new Orphan Works Act going to Congress that will allow anyone to use your art after “they” determine they can’t locate you to ask permission. Instead of protecting the artist’s work, this law tends to give it away. Kind of puts the blame on you to find whoever is stealing your stuff.
Having said that, I think artists are overreacting when they refuse photos to be taken of their work. Most fine art students have spent hours at Art Galleries copying the Masters. It is a method of learning how the great ones painted. I remember spending weeks copying a John Singer Sargent painting called “Paul Helleu Sketching with His Wife”. I learned from his brush strokes, his use of color, figure posing, layering of color, and so on and so forth.
 I’m not suggesting that I have incorporated his techniques in my work, but I’m sure some of the things I learned will be a part of my work forever.  This is a major way that we learn how to paint. Just like learning to write by reading, or learning to sculpt by touch and feel. I agree with most of the posts – I would be flattered if an artist found something valuable in my work that was worthy of taking a photo, sketching it, and best of all asking me how I did it.

We owe it to each other to pass along anything we have learned in life that will help our fellow artist and perhaps enlighten the curious or student learner. And that goes the same for all those artists out there worried that we might want what they have…knowledge.

© Copyright 2003, Jim Loy
Wetbrusher

05/20/2008 20:36:50

I think you hit the nail on the head...Insecurity. The world is full of it. Reminds me of people scrambling for a position on the life boats as the Titanic was going down. "Self" seems to be the number one priority, period.

 I used to airbrush T-Shirts years ago. One of the problems with painting on shirts was trying to get white to cover up the paint you had previously put down. I remember asking several "experienced" artist what kind of white they were using. All the sudden their defenses went up, personality changed and they said "I can't tell you that". Its not the way it's supposed to be. Remember what we learned when we were 5 years old? Share? Better yet, I remember something I read once "If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat...

sm 

05/20/2008 10:29:51

All I can think of is one word- Fear.  Which is to say is very sad because everyone can benefit if we share our experiences, information, talents, gifts and just ourselves...

05/20/2008 07:54:10

Um, artists are just weird, period.  Besides, ideas are always subject to hijack, difficult to sell, and annoying to the owner at best.  Anyway, I am flattered if someone thinks I deserve airspace by showing any kind of interest in my work and me as a human being.

05/20/2008 07:05:08

Sounds like you were attending a show of egomaniacs. Just stereotypical finicky, fickle, weird, strange artist ruining it for the rest of us out there in the world. 

05/19/2008 07:50:59

Hi Barbara,

Art is as unique as the person who creates it. I have a teacher who I once asked, is it bad if my paintings start to look like yours.. and she said to me my art is never going to be the same as hers, and that my paintings will take on a life of their own. She always encouraged her students to do whatever 'copying' in order to learn and develop their own styles. 

I am going to be participating at a fine arts and craft fair this weekend and I know people have taken pictures of my booth before. I have never considered it a threat to my art. I enjoy helping fellow artists prepare for shows, my first show never would have happen if it werent for the help from a fellow artist/show participant.

Sounds like it was a weird show environment and maybe it will be the same for me this weekend but I think the only weirdness this weekend could be that gas costs so much and people wont want to attend the show!

Robin

 

 

 

05/19/2008 07:35:52

I have always felt that as artists we all have benefited by standing on the shoulders of other artists before us.  If you look at those insecure artists, I would bet that there work will never really grow.  I have met blacksmiths like this.  They did not want to share their knowledge or even take pictures of their work.  They have ended up self isolated and they have little progress even a decade later.  I feel sorry for them.

I feel people should take my work and make it better, improve on it and we move on.  My only personal thought is that my work is MY work.  Nobody should say they made something and that it came from my studio. 

Make sense?

Cudos to your husband on sharing, he is the exception and not the rule

Steve

05/18/2008 17:30:25

Fearless-
I can't speak for everyone,but If someone wants to take a picture of my work, I find it a compliment.  A photo is not an original, and if someone takes some ideas off of it, I feel thats publicitiy all the more.  It is nice of you to ask them though and respect their wishes.  The more you are out there the better.  Keep painting!!!!!!!!

            &nb sp;             James Walker Henry