When one creates a piece , and parts of it come from someone or somewhere else.,.such as a collage artist does- there is a certain line one crosses by taking something that was made by another.
I guess it is ballsy to just take it & build it into your design- your creation. There are many levels of justification. How much of it is from another, which part of it is yours. What if the idea and the creation are yours.. but the images used are not? This sort of Robin Hood..taking and then giving something back... Is that the return on the take?
Suppose I asked permission for the photographs but couldn't get it.... what then? A sort of Romeo & Juliet- A marriage of images- but holy forbidden. The viewer would decide, I suppose. The law would slap down a fine, but the piece would stand as is because it was born- even if it was an illegitimate child- it stands.
The lady layer , printed to reflective vinyl- rests on top of herself, she is also printed in the background photo; and laid directly on top as to permeate her halo. I wanted to just do one entire reflective print but all good things in all good time. The fingers of the background lady marked the black vinyl for the words Moto Lust. I cut and laid , with personal precision- her fingers ever so slightly molesting the word Moto..... the reflective vinyl is somewhat of a hidden nuance, as one will see as one spends time with it , how the days shadows dictate the character of the piece, depending where it hangs in the house - as the light and shadows of the daylight will illuminate and follow you.
Ever so endearing a character to the very piece itself.
Back to the question of ownership,
Did Warhol ask Campbell's Soup or Brillo before or after he created his silk screen prints? The concept that :
"Good artists copy, great artists steal." Picasso
has me scratching my head. What did Pablo Picasso experience to have said that. I look at images, they stir something inside of me- all sorts of images. When a couple of images seem to belong together is it not the responsibility of the chosen to make it happen? Thus in the follow thru the art is born and the rest is history.
Is it easier to ask permission or forgiveness? Is justification my denile in action? I think not, but what is art? Ad art, painting art, collage art, installation art..photography as art.... when I etch my doodles in the sand and the ocean sweeps in to magically erase them, or to slowly undo my sand castle...etchaskecth.... is this not what time does to the artist- as the art stands still, in time, on the wall, - the spirit of them spins forth in all composition and inspiration? If there is an element in something you look at that stirs you.... then there is purpose- even if it disgusts one?
Good, bad or mediocre-- sometimes I see things and I say, "Oh I could do that!",,, and then I try and Yeh , not so easy after all. But the key is I tried- or rather I did it. Not once or twice - I did it four times before I got it right. I can stand back and think Oh I love it- or I hate it- That is really all that matters. BUT I followed through.
This one I like , and frankly 80 x 60 - it is the largest thing I have ever created to date.Perhaps that's why it took a couple tries.
I want to give up all the time. It really does help when people believe in you, but mostly I am learning that I must believe in myself.
a clean tapping from the aquifer of faith,
as it spews forth like old faithful.
timed just so from the inner sanctum of the universe.
thank you , I, so generiously say,
the giving is the receiving.
a perfect cycle .
