A Long Story (made short)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
'Words Cannot Express I' 2009
fine liner on paper
A few months ago I got an sms from my (then) girlfriend who I (then) very recently decided to take back after a brief romance with another pretty girl. It read “Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After the show it was packed up and I was reluctant to give away the unframed work as a present as I had lost most contact with ex-girlfriend and knew she wouldn’t have paid to get it framed. Then my sister got married and her (now) husband’s brother took a great interest in the work. Initially I explained how the work was not for sale as it is too personal. He was persistent so I sold it to him believing that my ex girlfriend had lost interest in me and the artwork I promised to give her. After seeing ex girlfriend for the first time this year I gave her a belated Christmas present of a smaller, framed artwork that was similarly inspired by the troubled relationship. She asked about the ‘Words Cannot Express’ work and was horrified to find that I had sold it. I felt bad, even though she had no present for me.
The decision I made was to spend the next two days drawing out an even bigger version of the artwork and pay to get it framed properly. It cost a butt-load, but I felt it was the right choice. Now I feel that even though the work has a different title and size I have cheated somehow. Is it creatively ethical to replicate artworks for the potential benefit of the artist?
I wish I were a fucking Printmaker.
posted by Hugh Upsher at 8:49 AM
3 Comments:
I don't believe that your ethical dilemma is an artistic one. And where your question is artistic I don't believe it is about ethics. 'Creatively ethical' sounds like a lawyer's term for Loopholing an issue. Is replicating the artwork creative? No, it's repetition. But that doesn't make it unethical.
It's almost like that situation bands get into where they make an album, release it and then release it a second time with bonus tracks and a dvd.It's not always as good as the original.
not exactly the same situation but similar.
Or like the situation that local art photographers get into where, not content with the editioned nature of their works for sale, then reprint their images in small, medium and large, each size then having its own edition, thus immediately tripling their market footprint...? No, not exactly like that...
But I don't think you were wrong, Upsher. And, as usual, I'm a fanilow of yours, and think its a really nice work. I spent most of my twenties trying to work out effective ways of deal with sms's. This is a great answer to those musings.
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