Transcript Appropriationx

What is art for?
5 reasons
1. Art keeps us hopeful
2. Art makes us less lonely
3. Art rebalances us
4. Art helps us to appreciate stuff
5. Art is propaganda for what really matters
Appropriation in Art
Appropriation in art
Appropriation is the intentional borrowing, copying, and
alteration of preexisting images and objects. It is a
strategy that has been used by artists for millennia, but
took on new significance in mid-20th-century America
and Britain with the rise of consumerism and the
proliferation of popular images through mass media
outlets from magazines to television.
Who does that???
 Pop artists like Andy Warhol, and Roy
Lichtenstein reproduced, juxtaposed,
or repeated mundane, everyday
images from popular culture—both
absorbing and acting as a mirror for
the ideas, interactions, needs, desires,
and cultural elements of the times. As
Warhol stated, “Pop artists did images
that anyone walking down the street
would recognize in a split second—
comics, picnic tables, men’s pants,
celebrities, refrigerators, Coke bottles.”
Anyone else???
Similarity Judgments
 Dissimilar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Similar
 How famous is the creator of the 1st work? Famous/Not Famous
 I am confident that I know who created the 1st work. Disagree/Agree
 How famous is the creator of the 2nd work? Famous/Not Famous
 I am confident that I know who created the 2nd work. Disagree/Agree
 The second work alters the original with new expression
 The second work alters the original with new meaning/message.
 The second work creates an entirely different aesthetic then the original. Disagree/Agree
 The second work provides significant benefit to the public. Disagree/Agree
Velazquez - Pablo Picasso
Original and appropriated version Duchamp
Portrait of Jorge Manuel 1603
Pablo Picasso version 1950
Diego Velazquez – Las Meninas 1656
Salvador Dali - 1960
Marcel Duchamp
Digital Appropriation
Copyright Law & Fair Use
 In the United States, Intellectual property law in a large part of the legal system
 The goal of this protection it to “Promote the progress of science and useful arts,
by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive rights to their
respective writings and discoveries.”
 An appropriated or “derivative work” is a work based upon one or more
preexisting works
 A derivative work need not be a violation of an author’s copyright due to the
“fair use doctrine”
 One of the factors used in analyzing fair use is the “purpose and character” of
the use. In short is it transformative?
Copyright Infringement or Fair Use?
 Generally the U.S. courts have said that a new work is not an infringement of copyright as
long as the new work is considered “transformative”
 Transformative = altering the original with new expression, meaning, or message
Famous Artists & Transformativeness
 Van Gogh did studies of other artists works, and appropriation art has been used by other
famous artists such as Picasso and Warhol. Would these be considered “Transformative
enough” or would they be copyright infringement?
 Are famous artists given more leeway?
Help or Hindrance?
 These derivative works have added to the artistic richness of society. They have had
impacts on presidential elections, and they sometimes sell for huge money
 Iconic Obama “Hope” poster & Lichtenstein’s “Sleeping Girl” which sold for $45 million at
auction
What are people saying about it??
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjWvzpVkyhs
Appropriation in Art
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwk7wFdC76Y
Marcel Duchamp
 http://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/video/appropriation-attribution Ethical use?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVlQOytFCRI
What is art for?
Questions
Do people keep the legal system in mind when
distinguishing between an original work of art and one
that is appropriated?
Will viewers change their judgements of similarity between
original works of art and appropriated imagery due to the
level of fame of the artist?
What impact does it have?
Today, appropriating, remixing, and sampling
images and media is common practice for visual,
media, and performance artists, yet such
strategies continue to challenge traditional notions
of originality and test the boundaries of what it
means to be an artist.
So what does it mean to be an artist?
What is an original idea?
Why do you think it is important to try and create your
"own" art?
Is it ok to be inspired by other art or people?
Are we stealing their ideas, creation?
Does anyone care?
What about copyright?
Intellectual property?
Who does this?
Why?
Quote
 If it isn’t art, then what is it?
 If it isn’t art, then what is?
 If it isn’t art, then what?