Art Dirt 8: Sex Robots, Scaramucci’s Mark Twain Tweet, When Artists’ Ideas Are Stolen
by Glasstire
July 23, 2017
2 comments
Art Dirt 8: Sex Robots, Scaramucci’s Mark Twain Tweet, When Artists’ Ideas Are Stolen
2 comments
I wrote my MFA thesis about tattooed pigs at UNT in 1976. In 1984 I tattooed another pig, and I hold a copyright for a “live pig with tattooed wing design”, and an image of the pig (photographed by Mark Green)was published by Fotofolio in New York and distributed all over the world. Some time in the 1990’s, an artist from Belgium started tattooing pigs. Since then, he has not only sold dozens of them (killed and stuffed), he has insisted that he never heard of me prior to doing this. I have had a couple of angry exchanges with him over the years, and needless to say, I think he’s a hack. The thing is…I’ve expressed my dismay of what I consider a bowdlerisation, but that’s as far as I have ever cared to take it. I does piss me off, but I’ve got current work to do which interests me more. Some press here: http://modernfarmer.com/2014/05/o-inked/
Some artist made a cool steel truck-sized pick axe head for the UTEP (Miners) campus years back.
Then some enterprising fellow decided that was cool so he manufacured (in Juarez) dozens of smaller(icebox-sized) rusted steel pick axe heads and sold them all over El Paso to utep enthusiests.
Totally ripped off the original artist- not to mention the school as well. I understand he was compelled to cease. Pretty crappy? The artist in me thinks perhaps but the biz man says why not?where did the original design come from if not some tool designer a LONG time ago and now copied in China I imagine…I don’t know. My feeling is imitation is flattery sort of. And to believe that you are the only person in the world to have a particular notion is pretty hubristic to start. I’ve been borrowed or copied, who cares? Like the pig tattooer, which is gross imho, go on to your next great project. Lead the parade, don’t follow or watch. Gotta get to work!