Copyright infringent

[Predrag Petrovic]

I noticed in various contributions, that many artists (''artists'' perhaps ?) are using large number of other's people works, taken from newspapers, magazines, books,etc. That could inflict the copyrights. In many cases, nobody will discuss it, and no legal matters will arise. Still, I think it is not artistic to use so many of non-original work/s in your own work. I don't want to point my finger to any particular person, but I am sure it is wrong way to make something ''new'' or ''original''and to call it your own work. It is fine to source inspiration from others, but it is just totally opposite to blatantly take others works and make ''collages'' or whatever one could call such works. I also noticed there is not so much of original works, seems it is just easier to ''cut and paste'' or cut out and stick, than to draw or make your own work with your own hands and brains.

[Ilya Semenenko-Basin]

Meanwhile, together the five of us here have inadvertently scribbled a little essay on the philosophy of art! How cool are we!

[Predrag Petrovic]

Interesting points, agreed in general. All is borrowed from the nature. The shape of the Coca Cola bottle, shape of VW beetle, even our paper envelopes could be traced down to botany and flower-shapes. Etc etc. Conform to the nature through the natural processes...hmmmh. Sometimes it is difficult to see, but it is there.

[Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann]

I guess it depends on what kind of art you want to make and why you are making it. If you're making protest art, or parody, or Pop art, or trying to make an anti-art Dadaist type of thing then in many cases appropriation is part of the art form. Some of the people in Dada and Neo-Dada were trying to deliberately blur what ownership is, what art is, and to de-commodify and almost de-art it. Some of them deliberately wanted the hand of the artist or the mind of the artist to hardly be apparent or not be apparent at all. 

I like to do a lot of art forms that fall under the umbrella of Dadaism but I'm not doing it for the purpose of social engineering in the direction many of the Dadaists were trying to go. I am trying to social engineer a bit, but with somewhat different goals. So my choices of what images I appropriate and how much my own hand is in the work are choices depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes I don't appropriate any. It just depends on what I'm making it for. It could be for commercial graphic design type purposes, academic, just having fun, making art with a statement included, practicing a technique or a thought process, art therapy, etc.

[Ilya Semenenko-Basin]

Dear panelists, I recommend paying attention to the penultimate text belonging to Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann! This is important.

[carl baker]

dear predrag,

be aware that your badge or avatar image

has been previously used,

https://iuoma-network.ning.com/profile/MissNoma?xg_source=activity

[Cliff Wexler]

Good points; especially about the substance of the art work. I know that much mail art is actually small-sized collages; a layout of ephemeral paper and misc. graphic work. Or, even application of small objects that are glueable to paper. (I'm sure the postal authority loves these.) Perhaps my POV is self-serving since I prefer to draw imaginative landscapes and environments and graphic/cardtoonish commentaries to say something about the world as I see it. From what I've read about the history of mail art this is fine. Anything goes as long as we can stick some postage on it. So...no complaints. Let's keep the postal service viable before another private corporation takes over. All the best to my mail art colleaguea. CW

[Stephanie Lentz Morrison]

I personally take this sooooo personally. Mailart at is fundamentally an artform that embraces all levels and of all types. I cannot draw yet but want to do art. I use magazine images for my collages and many different things from books and other sources for my collages. It is clearly a magazine image, it is clearly a page of music notes. It is clearly souced from other sources. What I am trying to say is these items are clearly outsourced and not my own work. literally drawing a picture of a beautiful woman, writing and composing a song on sheet music, and writing a book are all the things you expect a collage artist to do to make her collage? I think you should feel blessed if you are more advanced and stop judging other peoples' work and mind your own paintbrush instead of throwing out stones...my feelings are hurt very badly by your post. thanx, Stephanie

[nonlocal variable]

Hi Stephanie, this wasn't meant as a serious case of infringement. If you look at my prior posts, I don't believe anything we do in mail art is copyright infringement, and that I use a lot of humor in mail art. This post was a satire on the overall topic in this thread. Sidebar: I was the head of the brand management group at Xerox, know a lot about copyright law, and this is not copyright infringement, as it does no damage to the brand's reputation (in fact is positive). So sorry you took offense - I loved the piece.

[Predrag Petrovic]

Hey ! I never mentioned you in my comments. If you found yourself there, it is only your own problem.

[CtlAltDel]

Hi Predrag Petrovic 

Copyright is such a minefield, both from a legal and ethical standpoint. I used to deal with a lot of copyright issues when I worked as an audiovisual historian/webpublisher. Each country will have slightly different rules and regulations that allow the use of other's material for critique and review or satire and parody. Music is far more complex than any other media when it comes to getting copyright clearances. But let's look at your other point re originality. Collage is a very popular technique in Mail Art and has a rich history in the arts. It really came to the fore with artists like John Heartfield, Kurt Schwitters and Hannah Höch, among others. Also used by Picasso, Braque, Joseph Cornell etc. Richard Hamilton's collage, Just What is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing? (1956), arguably coined the term, 'Pop Art'. We can then go on to look at Warhol, Lichtenstein and others who, while not creating collages, freely copied/borrowed/appropriated images and text from other people, particularly from advertisements. My point is, collage has a long history in the visual arts and is a valid form of artistic expression requiring the same skills. Like any artwork, however, it can be successfully resolved by the artist in terms of content and composition or it might not be. IUOMA though is a platform for all levels of abilities. It's an inclusive website where people can find joy in presenting and sharing their work. Not everyone here would necessarily call themselves an 'artist' but I imagine everyone would see themselves as creative. And for me, that's satisfying enough.

[Stephanie Lentz Morrison]

Well said my friend 

[jimmyconnors]

dear friend, please, contenance. me personally i easily cut the line between copyright and what was the other thing again? love, jimmy ("artist")