1/31/2007

Russell Law, Legal Services for Creatives

In my never ending quest for copyright info, today I located the site of a copyright lawyer. She provides legal advice to artists and musicians about copyright, trademarks, contracts, etc... You can find her site here. She has recently started a blog where she welcomes conversation about law topics. I will have to keep my eyes on that!

1/29/2007

a quote from the preceeding paper

"3. Appropriating from Multiple Sources
A variation of the Warhol case involved the Russian painter George Pusenkoff who used the
outline of a nude from a Helmut Newton photograph, a distinctive bright blue background from a
Yves Klein’s monochromatic painting, and a small yellow square from the late Russian artist Malevich.
58 Neither Klein nor Malevich objected to Pusenkoff’s borrowing. Nor could they because the
color blue and a yellow square are part of the public domain. Newton, however, objected to the use
of his photograph and sought to have the painting destroyed. In Pusenkoff’s defense, he created a
unique work not multiple copies, borrowed only the outline of a photograph not the entire photograph,
and transformed the photograph by adding public domain material and altering the medium.
On the other hand, he clearly copied Newton’s well-known image without paying for it. Indeed his
purpose was to copy recognizable elements from other artists. His game “is to make canvases buzz
with cultural associations by ‘quoting’ from other artists—a perfectly respectable post-modernist
approach to picture-making.”59
A German court held that Pusenkoff’s painting was a free adaptation rather than a reworking
and, therefore, did not infringe Newton’s copyright.60 From an economic standpoint, this is the right
result. Pusenkoff’s “free adaption” was a productive or transformative use that does not substitute
for the original photograph. To be sure, Newton might have given up a small licensing fee but that
seems outweighed by the lower access and licensing costs. Had Pusenkoff created posters and other
merchandise rather than a unique work, the outcome might well be different. Then, potential lost
licensing revenues become more significant. Moreover, there would be no important difference between
Pusenkoff’s activity and that of a commercial artist or business incorporating pre-existing
copyrighted images into a product for wide distribution. The intermediate position—a limited edition
series of prints—is the more difficult case to resolve. Like the Warhol example above, fair use should
turn on whether the savings in access costs more than offset any small negative effects on the incentives
of commercial photographers and publishers.
The Pusenkoff example raises another issue. Transaction costs are likely to be large if the law
required the artist to obtain permission to appropriate from multiple sources. Other things being the
same, this implies that the law should be more sympathetic to the artist whose work borrows from
multiple copyrighted sources."

Indeed. This again cements my position. I am appropriating, but not breaking laws.

copyright paper

Copyright, Borrowed images and Appropriation Art:
An Economic Approach
22 pages. pdf.
interesting reading! will report more when I am finished with it!

1/26/2007

Joel Lambeth


Joel lives in Australia and is cooking up some radical collage. His style reminds me a bit of hannah hoch, doing some nice work with faces. I enjoy looking at his refreshing work!! More can be found here on his site.

1/24/2007

Dominion of Birds


Dominion of Birds
Originally uploaded by misphit.
After mentioning the Dominion Fan Box and also my mindset with the whole box reminding me of Joseph Cornell and his various bird assemblages on this blog...I am posting this scan of this artwork that I finished this morning. It seems relevant.

Decaying Springs


I worked a bit on magikglasses the last few days, fixing and organizing the links better, and I added the first group of 10 collages that I have been doing for a project about Sharon Springs, NY.
You can see this work here on my site.

I will be adding some video soon. I need to format some creative quicktime skins first.

1/23/2007

MOUST-Glen Moust, Denmark, Esbjerg


Who will buy an organ??
24.5 x 30.5 cm
"My work consists of collages of press cuttings. I use paint, spray and other materials to alter their original representation and bring them into new contexts - and thereby make new interpretations possible.
My inspiration comes from life in general, music, street art and the world of today."

to quote duchamp

Duchamp stated that he "wanted to grasp things with the mind the way the penis is grasped by the vagina,"

joseph cornell, birds, and the owl





dovecote box


Untitled (Grand Owl Habitat) 1946


Untitled 1942


I found a retro box from an old fan that i liked. It is jet black, with 8 printed ovals. The reminded me of cages, dovecotes, and ultimately, Joseph Cornell, his birds, and his owl.

Beating the (subject) copyright to death!!!

I really have decided all this stuff could drive a person nuts. The conversation on copyright raves on in the collage group on yahoo. I really have come to my own conclusion about my personal usage in imagery in my work. I am okay with it!!! After reading court papers about Jeff Koons and his case of Blanch v. Koons, I am deciding that i have transformed the pieces i use enough from their original context.
But of course, I go in a paranoid frenzy and look at this stuff all the time. I don't know why i worry. I am an artist and I am transforming paper into new forms. What else can be said?
The copyright law which is listed in its entirety here...says,
"... In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include —

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors."...

I found this interesting table on the UNC site about the Public Domain. Basically it says this:
"
Any work published on or before December 31, 1922 is now in the public domain.
Works published between January 1, 1923 and December 31, 1978, inclusive, are protected for a term of 95 years from the date of publication, with the proper notice.
But, if the work was published between 1923 and December 31, 1963, when there used to be a (non-automatic) "renewal term," the copyright owner may not have renewed the work. If he or she did not renew, the original term of protection (28 years) would now be expired and these works will be in the public domain.

After 1978, the way we measure the term of protection changes. It is no longer related to a date of publication, but rather runs for 70 years from the date the author dies (called, "life of the author" plus 70 years). Further, publication is irrelevant. Works are protected whether they are published or not.
Finally, those works that were created before December 31, 1978, but never published, are now protected for the longer of life of the author plus 70 years or until December 31, 2002."

clear as...mud.

i REALLY liked this special explanation for multi media works found at this link regarding the University of Texas' Policy:

"RULES OF THUMB FOR DIGITIZING AND USING OTHERS' WORKS IN MULTIMEDIA MATERIALS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
The CONFU Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia suggest that fair use requires adherence to specific numerical portion limits, that copies of the multimedia work that includes the works of others should be strictly controlled, and that fair use "expires" after 2 years. Our Rules of Thumb acknowledge that these are important considerations, but the Guidelines numbers do not describe the outer limits of fair use. Despite their tightly controlled approach, the Guidelines can provide helpful guidance and we recommend that you read them.

Please keep in mind that the rights described here are rights to create unique works, but not to make multiple copies and give them out (distribute them).

1. Students, faculty and staff may incorporate others' works into a multimedia work display and perform a multimedia work in connection with or creation of class assignments curriculum materials remote instruction examinations student portfolios professional symposia.
2. Be conservative. Use only small amounts of other's works.
3. Don't make any unnecessary copies of the multimedia work."

1/22/2007

An email from Alain


My friend Alain lives in Belgium and does collage combined with pen and ink and also paper marbling. He is a creative artist and we have collaborated on numberous occasions across the seas...
Here is something he sent me today in email..."Traditional collage offers the artist a physical pleasure: wandering
through images within a magazine, ransacking piles of pictures, handmade
papers, and other ephemera. Infinite
creations result from haphazard findings, combining two fragments, two
motives. But, there are also physical limits from the results of
cutting your selected pieces, the size of an element, to colours and
textures and shadows... All expressions despite its own limits, are
constructive for the creator, which is truly the beginning rather than a
stopping point.
Seemingly, on the other end of the spectrum, is digital collage.
No more tactile sensation. Rather than feeling ones way through pieces,
objects, and found items in boxes, the artist searches through data file
listings, electronic archives, choosing to open this file or that one.
The artist performs as a magician in front of his computer. He
manipulates images, cuts and pastes, virtually, he creates with total
liberty to resize, change colours, reposition, melt the object into a
landscape, all due to the selected techniques. But, these liberties
alone are of no value, if the creative mind doesn't take control and use
artistic creativity.
Digital art, you ask, is it not impersonal, artificial to produce
colour copies or inkjet prints? Isn't such work spineless, lacking
creativity, movement or dimension?
I practice both types of collages. My work is a constant banter
between pen and mouse. A digital collage is assembled and then printed
to be worked over with China ink or enamel painting. Returning to the
computer, it is scanned again and electronically remanipulated.
Inversely, a manual collage can be scanned and produce an image that
will continue to create differing artistic results. A 'mother-work'
sometimes spawn off into dozens of 'daughter-works'."
Some of Alains' work is housed deep inside my website magikglasses. You can find a gallery of his older collage work here
I do like his term "mother-daughter works". A nice definition!!

"Ny-Alesund-Pole 0"


""Ice Park world ending", oil one canvas, (73 * 60 cm) 21.01.2007"

Valéry Grancher


This amazing project is one that is not exactly related to collage. It is related to our planet and awareness of what is happening around us. I want to help draw attention to the beautiful nature of this project by mentioning a little about it here on the collage clearinghouse.
This blog is "Log book of the artistic project "Ny Alesund Pole O" carried out by Valéry Grancher and Helene Kelmachter within the framework of the fourth polar year (Mars 2007 - Mars 2008) in partnership with the IPEV and Art with the poles". It is a very fascinating read!! I am following it because I feel it is a very noble thing for artists to use their creative power to showcase their beliefs. I used Babelfish to translate the page to english, you can find it here.

1/18/2007

Collage Society

I was looking into Collage Organizations today.
National Collage Society
The National Collage Society Inc., is supported by its members who pay $30.00 per year ( a tax deductible donation to the art foundation, exempt under 501(c)3 classification with the I.R.S.). Memberships imply a dedication to our purpose as stated in the Articles of Incorporation.
"... to foster the appreciation and interest in the recognized medium of collage. Collage has only been identified and defined during the twentieth century. The NCS, Inc. advances the stature of collage as a major art medium and assists in the public education through exhibits and workshops, lectures and publications."
First Frontier Collage Society
The First Frontier Collage Society was formed in Austin, Texas in 1998 as an affiliate of the National Collage Society and achieved independent and 501(3)(c) non-profit status in 2001.
The mission of the FFCS is to increase public awareness of collage and mixed media as a viable fine art, and to provide educational opportunities and support for artists in a tangible way through workshops and exhibitions.
Northwest Collage Society
The Northwest Collage Society held its first regional meeting in 1987 as the North Coast Collage Society. In 1997 it became the Northwest Collage Society. The NWCS is affiliated with the National Collage Society, Inc., a non-profit organization headquartered in Hudson, OH with Gail Larson, NCS as regional representative. The purpose of NWCS, as adopted from the National Collage Society’s Articles of Incorporation, is “to foster the appreciation and interest in the recognized medium of collage.” The NWCS works to advance the stature of collage as a major art medium and assist in the education of its members and the public through exhibits, workshops, lectures and publications.
The International Society of Assemblage and Collage Artists
Welcome to the homepage for the The International Society of Assemblage and Collage Artists. This Society is intended for artists who work primarily in Collage and/or Assemblage or an associated constructive form such as montage, construction, film, constructive poetry or sound, etc. We are founding this society during the 90th anniversary of collage which is officially considered to have begun as an artform in 1912 with the first collages of Pablo Picasso in particular with the picture "Still Life with Chair-Caning".
Virginia Collage Society
"... to foster the appreciation and interest in the recognized medium of collage. Collage has only been identified and defined during the twentieth century. The NCS, Inc. advances the stature of collage as a major art medium and assists in the public education through exhibits and workshops, lectures and publications."

Other societies not on a website:
The Collage/Assemblage Society, 490 Greenwich St., New York, New York, 10013

Collage Artists of America, c/o Susie Gesundheit, 3720 Meadville Dr., Sherman Oaks, California, 91403, (818) 986-8568, soozworm@aol.com

Collage Association of Southern Arizona (CASA), c/o Susan Meyer, 9880 E. Morrill Way, Tucson, Arizona, 85749, susanartmeyer@cox.net

1/17/2007

For the Visions Round Robin Nr. 2


For the Visions Round Robin Nr. 2
Originally uploaded by misphit.
An experimental collage that I did this morning early, before I went to work. I felt creativity surging today when I got up. I had to get this out of my system before I went to the ho hum workplace.

1/16/2007

GREGORY Gillespie


Gregory Gillespie
(1936 - 2000)
"...has been recognized as one of America's most important and interesting contemporary artists. Defying categorization, Gillespie has painted memorable self-portraits, haunting fantasy landscapes, symbolic geometric abstractions and monumental dimensional paintings unlike any others."
His assemblage work is very textural. I really like his pieces....Some others can be seen here. (note: these appeared to be copyright/security protected via html)

Trenton Doyle Hancock


Strudi Flooo
2002
Mixed media on felt, 78 x 127 inches
Collection of Linda Pace, San Antonio, Texas
Courtesy of Dunn and Brown Contemporary, New York


from PBS
"Hancock’s prints, drawings, and collaged felt paintings work together to tell the story of the Mounds—a group of mythical creatures that are the tragic protagonists of the artist’s unfolding narrative. Each new work by Hancock is a contribution to the saga of the Mounds, portraying the birth, life, death, afterlife, and even dream states of these half-animal, half-plant creatures."

Saga


Saga
Mixed Media Collage
11 x 14
acrylic, Saga brie cheese box, vintage razor box insert, chocolate lime candy wrapper, digitally altered and layered photos of bath house in Sharon Springs, florist foil, bachman pretzel bag, christmas tag, emigre font book cover, vintage french sheet music cover

For the Sharon Springs project.

my own thoughts

i do notice some common -pardon the pun- threads among my quest for collage information.
First and foremost, of course, is the copyright issue. I have a 150 page book of collage that I want to publish. It is on my mind. I continue to purposefully choose labels and wrappers from purchased products. These are definitely not in the public domain! I feel as though I flirt with disaster by using them. But where else can I get such interesting texture for my work? Candy labels are really exquisite. Embossed and decorated foils, high gloss printing, deep enriched color. It seems such a shame to not be able to use these because...they somehow intellectually belong to someone else. Nonetheless, even tho these labels are like trinkets to my eyes, something like a paper jewel to be used to accent and add gloss to the work, they are somehow taboo. Or are they?
Continuing to define the fair use act and discovering the real laws surrounding appropriation seems like a smart thing for me to do. I would like to be an informed collage artist.
After copyright, I like to look into the lives of previous collage artists in history a lot. I think this is helping me define exactly what is happening within the context of my own work. I read about the comeraderie among the Dada, fluxus, surreal artists of the past and I ponder about the collage "movement." I feel as though I am quite lacking as far as ganging together with other artists, whether it be for creating a group statement about art/life/our work through group meeting and exhibition, or whether it be simply for exchanging ideas and entertainment. I seem to be isolating myself in some ways. I did embrace the internet, collaborative exchange, and newgroups for awhile, and feverishly entered a zine project that lasted a few years, participated in several RR exchanges and book creations. But somehow it all seems so unimportant and frivolous. And I have signed off of RR and projects for now, watching on the sidelines and yet feverishly working on my own projects...singly and without much collaboration. Almost in isolation but yet saturated by the world around me.
I seek to understand how our current society affects my work, the work of others, and collage as a whole. Since our entire life has become a cut and paste event, collage on a piece of paper seems like not such a big deal. Am I supposed to feel like a hack, since my work does not contain my own painting or drawing and relies on paper visions that were printed already? Or should I feel like a genius, looking beyond the actual meaning of the paper and using it as my own version of paint??
If I only did a collage now and then I wouldn't be searching so deeply for meaning. I do create collage like a fiend. I have boxes and boxes of ephemera, shelves and shelves of cut and slashed books, even more boxes of pieces that were chosen and cut that never quite "fit", unfinished works, finished works. It is my life, this cutting pasting rearranging and appropriating of paper and objects. The need to understand it in depth seems to be driving this blog. Certainly there is no conversation here on this blog (yet) about what I need to discover. My own personal need is what compels me to read and digest, and then record.

Joan Miro - 1933 Drawing-Collage


Do read about Miro and his so-called break from serious painting....
"Miro made his Drawing-Collage of August 8, 1933, while he was at his family's farm in Montroig. Onto a piece of green flocked paper measuring 108 X 60.4 centimeters, Miro attached a rectangular section of sandpaper, three postcards, and four printed elements. Drawn conte-crayon lines connect the postcards to each other and to the other cutout illustrations...The most detailed description of this Drawing-Collage, written by William Rubin for a 1973 Museum of Modern Art publication, also argues for the centrality of the postcard in the composition:

The eye-catching collage elements fit neatly into a whimsical
iconography. The postcard of a girl in Spanish headdress provides
the head of a film-struck maiden, young, pretty, and sentimental;
not far down her neck is her Adam's apple, appropriately
illustrated by a collaged apple. Down past her breasts, the
uterine contours of a collaged pear above a vulvalike form suggest
the maiden's sexuality. As both a compositional and metaphoric
counterpoise to the collaged postcard (above her head) of an
embracing couple silhouetted against a star, there is, below her
sex, another postcard of an amorous couple sitting on a moon with
a pendant star (a cutout of a starfish). "
Why was collage at this point considered a vacation from serious work? I resent that attitude. Art is art is art. The medium should not be classified. There is no caste system with creativity.

1/15/2007

diymedia.net


"Collage is the act of appropriating existing messages to make new ones. Literally anything can be considered collage fodder: in the visual realm this usually means photographs and printed material, bits of which are selected and blended together on a new canvas to produce a new picture or interpretation.

In the worlds of audio and video, collage is much more difficult to make: the source material isn't static and neither is the final product. The issue of copyright is also much more likely to come into play when making collages from popular music, film, television programs or commercials.

The act of appropriation is not theft. It is a legitimate and established artistic technique to further the interpretation of existing works. This is because a work of collage is more than a sum of its parts. See this excellent synopsis of the Fair Use concept for further details.

Audio and video collage have been experimented with for decades, but until the desktop computer and A/V editing software came along it wasn't a widespread phenomenon. Only since the 1990s have computers and software become cheap and easy enough to use that, today, anyone can become a collage artist."

ANYONE CAN BECOME A COLLAGE ARTIST?????????
that is a sobering thought for my ego!!

Appropriation

I was insulted last week to think my art was appropriation art. I have done some thinking and now some more reading. Appropriation is at the heart of our culture.
According to M. Cameron Boyd's Theory Now Blog (please pardon me as I appropriate this text), guest writer Rebecca Jones remarks..."Appropriation in art has become so widely used today that the once radical and overt political tones of collage have come to be commonplace in the lexicon of American culture...Plato’s assertion is that art is an imitation of an imitation, and so three times removed from real (the real being the “forms” themselves: perfect, permanent, ideas of objects)..."
More can be read here.
I really felt this drive into my brain..."Eduardo Kac once commented that if the art object and the artist are eliminated (taking off from Duchamp’s questioning the art object) then the art comes to be about relationships and interactions within a network.(8) It’s very evident that it is these interactions between members of or pieces of a network that are the main focus of works being created today in response to the cultural condition of the western world. "

Lately I shun the collaborative work. I am such an isolationist for now. However, I do realize that collab work is en vogue at this moment. Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my feelings on networked art. I don't want to be jumping on bandwagons and joining the crowd...I don't want to do anything just because others are doing it. That's why lately I have chosen to stay out of Round Robins and collaborative projects for a short while. I do enjoy seeing and feeling other peoples work, and combining creative work with someone else really changes the message of the piece--and seems to be quite a thought provoking process. But I was doing so much collaborative work and zine work, that I had no time for my own individual expression. Indeed, my work on others' art became so time consuming that I felt I was losing my own identity, my own message, my own creativity. This is more a product of my lack of art time, then a lack of interest however. I work full time and art is my out of work full time passion. I just feel sometimes there isn't enough time to explore it all.

1/12/2007

Eduardo Recife


This beautiful work was done by Eduardo Recife...what nice collage. I liked his site also, with the really hot hand lettered opening!
Find him here at misprinted type or here at eduardorecife.com.

Cyber Collage party


Paul Butlers Collage party. Old news, but still what a cool idea....i found this here at FREE MANIFESTA:

"This August 10th, 2002, Paul Butler is inviting you to join him and his friends to participate in perhaps the largest collage party ever. The collage party is basically just an excuse to get together with friends and make collage. All you have to do is find a venue, get some magazines, tape etc..., some food and drink, and the rest will come naturally. Butler wants to invite collage artists all over the world to participate by hosting collage parties of their own the same day, documenting them with digital cameras and scanners, and emailing their parties to theotherpaulbutler.com throughout the 24 hr. party, all of the images produced will be posted for all to see. All you have to do is host a collage party on the 10th of August and email in your installation shots and collage works produced to: pbutter@mts.net. (yes, butter not butler). VISIT theotherpaulbutler.com for more information."

simon hughes



Simon Hughes, at other gallery
These are great. I love the texture.

Collage and Copyright : Fair Use, Appropriation Art?


I am posting this pic without permission. But here is the credit:
Niagara, 2000. Oil on canvas, 120 x 172 inches. Deutsche Guggenheim.
link

!!!!
I read this today in my never ending search to bring important collage information to the forefront of my mind and yours...

I am copying the entire text from this article since I want to be able to refer to it often.

"2nd Circuit Affirms Fair Use With Collage Containing Copyrighted Photographs
December 21st, 2006 by Nick Smallwood
On October 25th, 2006, in Blanch v. Koons, the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Second Circuit ruled on an important case dealing with the fair use of copyrighted material in an artistic, “collage” setting, affirming that artist Jeff Koons’ incorporation of a photograph into a collage painting was fair use.

Jeff Koons, an “appropriation artist“, created a collage entitled “Niagara” which depicts four pairs of women’s legs with the feet pointing downwards superimposed over images of “confections … with a grassy field and Niagara Falls in the background.” In his collage, one of the sets of legs in the painting was originally part of a photograph taken by a professional fashion and portrait photographer, and published in Allure magazine in 2000. Koons described his work as using popular images for commentary on the “social and aesthetic consequences of mass media.” The work was commissioned by Deutsche Bank and the Guggenheim Museum.

In ruling that Koons’s use of the legs from Blanch’s copyrighted picture constituted fair use, the Second Circuit went through a detailed explanation of the four-factor fair use test: the purpose and character of use; the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the portion used; and the effects on the actual or potential market for the work or its derivatives.

Most importantly within the “purpose and character” factor, the court analyzed the transformative nature of Koons’s work. Courts will not “find a transformative use when the defendant has done no more than find a new way to exploit the creative virtues of the original work.” However, in this case, “Niagara” passes the transformative test “almost perfectly” because Koons changed the original copyrighted picture’s “colors, the background against which it is portrayed, the medium, the size of the objects pictured, their details.” Also, and “crucially,” Koons’s painting had an “entirely different purpose and meaning – as part of a massive painting commissioned for exhibition in a German art-gallery space.”

The transformative nature of Koon’s work dwarfed other issues, such as the commercial nature of the work and any bad faith allegations against Koons. Indeed, the court even minimized the parodic justification. The court did address the confusing and oft-criticized distinction between parody and satire (“parody needs to mimic an original to make its point, and so has some claim to use the creation of its victim’s … imagination, whereas satire can stand on its own two feet and so requires justification for the very act of borrowing.”) before stating that “[t]he question is whether Koons had a genuine creative rationale for borrowing Blanch’s image, rather than using it merely to get attention or to avoid the drudgery in working up something fresh.”

The remaining factors used by courts in these cases—dealing with the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality taken, and the effect on the market—all also weighed in Koons’ favor or were deemed unimportant in this case."

Another spin on this article can be found here at NEWSgrist, and you can see the piece of art that is being discussed.

side note to myself: Appropriation Art??? Is that what I am? An Appropriation artist? Sounds very unglamorous... more like a business. "I need to appropriate this and do this with it..."
Hmm. that is my logic. The textures, lines, colors, and design of papers are my paints. I have appropriated pieces of paper and given them a new use, my paint. back to the issue at hand.










I really liked this quote: from NewsGrist/Artnet News

In his affidavit in the case, Koons noted that it was important to use the photo from Allure, rather than painting a model’s legs himself. "My paintings are not about objects or images that I might invent, but rather about how we relate to things that we actually experience. . . . Therefore, in order to make statements about contemporary society and in order for the artwork to be valid, I must use images from the real world. I must present real things that are actually in our mass consciousness." [emphasis mine]

Interesting stuff.

1/10/2007

an inside spread


12 Tales of the Forest Nr. 3
Originally uploaded by misphit.

Hare Brained Philosophy


12 Tales of the Forest Nr. 3
Originally uploaded by misphit.
Something I am currently working on is a series of 12 little tiny books. They are each 8 pages and will have a theme. Together they comprise the 12 tales of the forest! It is silly for the first book to be number 3, but you know how artists are. It's my world, and it has a mind of it's own! I like it how when you are an artist you can control crazy stuff like that. It is up to Me whether or not the first book is really the third book or the fifth book or ...really the first book he he he!

These are quite tiny, each page only 2 x 4. It is difficult to work in such a small format and still retain crazy graphic details! Good thing I have nice long natural fingernails! I actually take a special vitamin for my nails so they are strong and ready for minute placements!

Already I crave to work on a large flamboyant piece. There is more freedom in larger work and less tedium when placing things. I may have to do a large piece simultneously with these little tiny books. That way I can feel the best of both worlds.

1/09/2007

Kurt Schwitters 1887 - 1948


Reading up a bit about Kurt Schwitters and checking out his work.
"Whereas the raw material of most of the Dada montage of the times was photographic and relevant, Schwitters took his from the streets. The montages, collages and assemblages that he constructed from all this gathered refuse have an extraordinary integrity of vision, but they are certainly not in any way political,..." found here at cut and paste.
His Merz was really something. I wish I could have seen the merzbau.

1/08/2007

more copyright-Cecil's Plight


The copyright thing was hot on Friday. Cecil Touchon posted
this on his blog...
The story of how he was watching TV and noticed a piece just like his in the background set of Gay Straight or Taken...(btw, I saw the same piece in a commercial for this show....Boo Hiss)
I feel that is really lame of them. They are a syndicated show. They have cash. They definitely should have checked in about this....

I wonder who exactly made the piece? Was it on a wall of someone's home randomly? Does G.S.T have any idea that the piece ...was ...kinda...stolen?????

I feel that copyright is definitely something that is huge and it is looming all over us. In music, we have sampling, in writing, we have cut and paste...in art we have collage. I know that Disney and other big ass corporations are busily trying to tie up their pathetic mickey images for the rest of eternity for their cash making misery....however, they are also bending laws and preventing millions of other images from being used. How strange this all is...copyrighting an image...
My wish is that the battle for copyright becomes something quite public--even more public than it is now--and that collage becomes the arena for this battle to occur. Imagine the publicity for our profession...should art become the forum for this public debate. It almost makes me want to create...the ultimate copyright-full collage...and then purposefully flaunt it somewhere that will provoke this legal discussion.
Unfortunately, I think that may land me in bankruptcy court. or worse.
But still, for a chick, i love a good battle.

Collage and Copyright

The issue of every collage artist is Copyright. There are so many questions, so much gray area. It's political. It's very much a part of our current public discussion.
How strange is it that I had started a conversation on saatchi about this very subject. I am going to post the text of it here...

In my collage, I use a lot of labels, pictures and ephemera from all time periods. Some of it is in the public domain, but an equal amount is not. Little snippets from magazines, half of a Mobil logo...torn labels from a candy bar. the cellophane wrapped around a 2 litre bottle of soda...these pieces become the basis of my work. However they are copyrighted. They are in their original form at least. In my art, it may take 20+ snips to complete one composition. None of the images I use is used in its original context in my work. Each item has taken on a new life in my new work and is only a small part in the composite of the new work.
I want to begin marketing a book that I have completed. It has a multitude of imagery, and a portion of it is cut and torn from modern sources. I worry about the risks a publisher might face in taking on a project of this sort. What kind of rights do I really seriously have? If the parent company of Clorox decides to sue someone on account that the fair maid in my collage is sitting in a nest with a clorox bottle flower, will this be grounds for court???
Is there a reason for me to be apprehensive?
In this age of cut and paste, I wonder what my rights really are. This is the gray area. What can I really do with my work? Will publishers shy away from me because of the nature of my materials?
I would love to push this envelope.

By rustik


its called appropriation and your recontextualising.. and you will be offered a cease and desist. worst case scenario it goes to court and youd be lucky to draw such attention and create such an interesting conversation with pop culture, it would add dimensions to the work.
but think about it - warhols soup cans!

when koons sold 3 "string of puppies" 4 $367000 he did find him self in a bit of a case, - google that and also his new case which you may identify with stronger - its more clip arty..

also look up rosenquist's new work

By no where man


snip, snip...i'm doing some mousey nibbling too myself, u know...only using my teeth, no scissors in the correct size for a mouse available, sir.

By mickeymouse


i guess my first response would be to say that if that's your method of operation, you should know the letter of the law and apply it to your process from the beginning...then you don't have to worry...i don't think it has to take anything away from your art if you can't use certain images...i think artists use whatever is available to them to do what they have to do...maybe you should think of the offlimit stuff as truly offlimits and use what you can...a painter with one brush uses one brush

by olive

1/06/2007

1st Friday in Albany, NY--Lark Street








The local galleries in nearby Albany, NY have instituted First Friday! It has been going on for awhile, only I am just discovering it. On the first friday of a month, a network of galleries will have opening nites for various art shows. I went last nite with Brittany and Neal and really had a cool time. There seemed to be a lot of photography exhibits. I didn't mind too much, it is all culture to me. I was surprised to see so many people out. We kept seeing repeat people, so the idea of folks going from gallery to gallery is working.
I went last night first to check out the scene of course. Secondly, I was checking out potential galleries that I can approach. I chose 2 out of the group last night. I plan to send some samples out for a potential solo exhibit. Ya never know....

1/05/2007

collageart.org


Collageart.org is headed up by Jonathan Talbot. There are a lot of links, artists, books, --lets just say a lot of INFORMATION on this site!

Arless Day



"They do not exist in actuality, only in the vision of a man who cuts pictures from magazines and books for a living, then creates his new reality with wildly colorful paint He masters the details first and the big picture later. You can see it for yourself. Up close, his painted collages are a maze of jagged lines from paper photographic images, splashed with brilliant paint colors. From a distance, they are remarkable."
Arless Day creates paintings with gouache and collage, creating a unique layering effect. Orange Place is just one example from his portfolio of Unique Variations. I found his stuff here.

Randel Plowman - A collage a Day


I went to transbuddha and came across the work of Randel Plowman. I have seen his work before and I really do like his use of old scrap. I share his love of period ephemera....and it is really intriguing to see how he uses it as background for his subjects. His blog is called acollageaday and worth visiting for your daily collage fix.

1/04/2007

Starstruck




Starstruck #9
Mixed Media Collage
11 x 14
watercolor, acrylic, torn silk screen, digitally altered photo output, vintage magazine clippings
There is a local town called Sharon Springs that has caught my creative attention. This town used to be a Victorian mineral spa. It has a few sulphur springs that are quite smelly, but apparently also quite therapeutic. The town has been abandoned over the years by all mineral spa visiting vacationers, and at this point the springs are in a state of decaying despair. There are 2 spots that really intrigue me, the White Sulphur Spring and bathhouse, and also the solid cast iron Magnesia Spring. I have had the opportunity to photograph these bizarre decaying and fascinating buildings, and also use them in a series of artworks that will become the basis for a large project; an artists book, a photo gallery, a DVD for the artists book, and also a website housing most of it digitally. I applied for a grant from the tricounty arts council...which serves Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. I got the Grant! So this project is ongoing and I would like to share it with others as I am going along.

1/03/2007

She


I have been so busy posting information about collage on the web that I have neglected to post my own work. I have a lot going on, but I wanted to do some personal art right after the holidays, before I get all tangled up in projects.

She
Mixed Media Collage
16 x 20
acrylic, vintage sewing patterns, stash tea box, old navy blanket ribbon, old blueprints, creamer inner foil seal, lindor candy wrappers, vintage paper dolls, sticker from blue J. rails in NYC, vintage flower scrapbook page, lottery ticket

info roundup

¤ STRYCHNIN ¤
Strychnin
Berlin
STRYCHNIN INC.
BOXHAGENERSTR. 36
10245 BERLIN
GERMANY
tel.+49.(0)30.970.02035

New York
511 West 33rd St
3N ( 3rd floor)
NY NY
10001
http://www.strychnin.com
mail@strychnin.com

please note:
Due to the amount of submissions we receive please be advised that you do not send us originals etc as we can not send work back to you. Thank you for submitting your work!


Jonathan Levine in NYC
Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 W. 20th Street, 9E
New York, NY 10011
phone: 212-243-3822
info@jonathanlevinegallery.com
Open Monday through Friday, 11am to 6pm
SUBMISSIONS:
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is not seeking to show work from new artists at this time. However, we are still interested in seeing what you are doing. If you would like to submit artwork, please make sure it fits within the genre of what we exhibit. For example, if you're a traditional landscape painter we probably will not be interested in your work. We look for underground, cutting-edge artists often with an established audience who push the boundaries of painting and illustration.

If you are going to send samples of your work, we prefer that you email SMALL JPEGs or direct us to your website. If you do not have a computer as one of your resources, you can send slides or quality print outs along with a SASE. We won't return your slides or prints unless you provide a SASE. If you do not have professional quality photos, slides or print outs, do not send them. We are a professional gallery and we expect you to be professional.

Please do not call the gallery to see if we have received your package or to talk about your art. We do not possess the time nor the resources to provide feedback or a critique of your artwork. If we have the time, we will send you a short, polite response. A rejection is not a reflection of the quality or integrity of your work. There are many factors that dictate what we show, so please do not take it personally if you don't make it onto our
calendar.

Send all email submissions to: Submissions@jonathanlevinegallery.com

BLK/MRKT Gallery - California
Before you submit your work, we ask that you be familiar with BMG and/or have taken the time to look at our past and current exhibitions and artists online or through our book BLK/MRKT ONE. If you feel your work fits the personality/genre/level of BMG exhibitions we would enjoy seeing it.
Please DO NOT send slides or a CD or DVD package to BMG unsolicited. Save film, paper and money, please.
DO NOT send email attachments of any kind; these are automatically deleted unless requested by the gallery.
DO send an introductory email to submissions@blkmrktgallery.com with a clickable link (put http:// in front of your URL) to an online selection of your work preferably with a BIO and exhibition listing. Should we need anything further we will contact you.
If you have no online access or presence, you can send materials to:
ATTN: Submissions
BLK/MRKT Gallery
6009 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Hardcopy submissions are reviewed approximately every 3 months and returned if a self addressed
stamped envelope is provided.
We are unable to accept submission phone calls or walk-in reviews.

JUNC Gallery - LA, California
Art Submission Guidlines::
If you would like to be considered for a show (please email only) the following:
-3-5 images of recent work or link to site. please include dimensions and medium ( gif or jpg.formats only no stuffed files)
-artist statement, education and exhibition history ( paste as text no attachments please)
Please DO NOT send materials though the mail. Submissions and other material sent via mail will not be opened.

send submissins to: submission@juncgallery.com

Please consider our gallery carefully before submitting work. In general we do not show abstract work, photography or sculpture. We recieve high volume of submissions and it is not possible to respond to everyone. If we are interested we will repond shortly please be patient ( as sometimes the number of inquiries can be overwhelming)

We do not review portfolios or work from walk-ins at the gallery. Submissions directed to other email adresses are not read. We promise this really is the best address for submitting work. If you have a question unrelated to a submission please send an email to info@juncgallery.com

Although we can't repond to all the submission inquires we recieve we try to answer our most frequently ask questions on our blog which often has information relating to submissions.

Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/juncgallery

todays discoveries



The website of Helene Deroubaix
The work of French collage artist Helene. She is doing a collage a day project.

The work of Artful Zebra
Artful Zebra has a lot going on. I really enjoyed looking at the humble monument to Tom Phillips' A Humument that I found here.


The Shukovsky Gallery
While cleaning up my website links and restructuring my site, I found some things that I had forgotten about...such as this link to the Shukovsky artwork that was on my home page!!

The language of somnambulism: K. Lindbergs
Photos, collage, lots of things to look at.

1/02/2007

collage therapy

"An application of collage as an art form has been made in clinical psychology, and has been established as collage therapy. This paper attempted to answer the following questions: What kind of behavior people show during production of collage work; how the production behavior differs from person to person; what causes the behavior differences. The framework of creative problem solving and behavior analysis technique with VTR were used, and behavior characteristics of mentally retarded subjects (N = 20) were compared with non-retarded adults (N = 20)."


I wonder what my results would have looked like.....That clinical quote had me kinda queezy...I don't like the thought of being examined and compared..... The following is a newsgroup post....

"Collage Therapy....
... this is another one from my awesome therapist....
What you do is go through magazines and cut out pictures and words that just "speak" to you or mean something to you. Happy, sad, angry, whatever reflects what you are feeling or struggling with or happy about.
Then you glue it onto construction paper...
There aren't many rules to collage therapy, just like EPT therapy.
Just think about how you are feeling and what's on your mind...
cut out pictures and words...
glue them on....
sit back and reflect"...

..."I am addicted to collage making. You know you are addicted to collage therapy when....
Every situation or upset that comes along I automatically think... I gotta make a collage!!
I look at magazines on the shelves at the store and automatically look for good collage material.
When I get a new magazine in the mail the first thing I think is: "Yay! New collage tonight!""...

"The art therapist at the last hosp I was at said if you use pictures in your collage more that is more expressed from your heart. If you use words more it is expressed from your mind. Not sure if I agree with that or not (cause I use like all words) but just want to see what y'all think about that"...

hmmmmm. collage therapy. i wonder when exactly I will be cured....

___A place to find all kinds of information about collage.