Flag background by Chandra Glick. Melon pics by William Rowe. Snippet of still life (Dole pineapple, Breakstone yogurt, usw.) by Tom Wessellmann.
I'm curious: how do y'all feel about using other people's work in your collages? Of course, we're almost always using something that originated with another artist, but how 'bout when it's as blatant as the flag in this collage? I worried a lot about this issue in the first year or so of my work as a collage artist and did a lot of research—by which I mean that I interviewed a lot of collage artists and a lot of people whose art I was so brazenly appropriating (always giving them due credit). As you've no doubt noticed, I came to the conclusion that (a) the legal/copyright issues don't matter, what with the widespread use of "sampling" in a variety of media—and the laws are very much in flux right now—and (b) artists like it when their work, with acknowledgment, is exposed to a wider public. I figure if anyone ever objects to something I've posted online, I'll just take it down, pronto. If the artist I'm sampling wants me to change the wording of my acknowledgment, I'm happy to do that as well. Maybe it helps that I have a code, as an artist, of giving away (usually through the postal system) almost all of my originals. I've never earned a penny from my artwork, and don't plan to.
I'm always interested to hear about how other collage artists resolve these questions!
BTW, apologies for the poor quality of the scan. My trusty ol' scanner died a while back, and I've been having to use my husband's, which doesn't do color very well.
I have no qualms about using other artists work within my collage if it fits a theme or shows some kind of link etc.
ReplyDeleteI second your analysis, Fi.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in the statement that everything we use is swiped from the creative hands of another and I have started to give credit where credit is due thanks to you Fi. Whenever I am aware of the origin of a piece I am using I usually announce it in my description as I have noticed you always do. Now, how would I feel if someone scanned a collage of mine and added a bit of this or that to it? Hmmmmmmmm...
ReplyDeleteI'm all for sharing and creativity without borders ... sharing knowledge, ideas .. building bridges and inspire one another.
ReplyDeleteOf course the other side is copyrights, possession, building walls, immense prices for art ...
but ... walls are great for graffiti and we can all watch Banksy for free ;)) ... so we have both sides on everything.
Great discussion! I'm always interested in what other collage artists have to say about these issues.
ReplyDeleteHowever... I feel a little paranoid about the fact that no one, so far at least, has made any comments on the collage itself. That seems odd. What's wrong w/ this collage? Is it too raggedy... too.... ??