[Aquanet] AWS controversy

Tue Sep 16 16:56:41 EDT 2008

We have this image of the starving artist working hard in his studio and 
being exploited by shady dealers or victim of art scams.  But this "artist" 
abused another artist and to me this is the worst of the offence.  She took 
the work of another and called it her own.  How could she accept her prize? 
How could she accept the compliments that I am sure she received?

I am always suprise that these people don't think that they will be caught. 
This is the type of thing that you do when you are starting to paint.  We 
reproduce a photo that we like.  But you don't sell this painting as being 
your original creation ! And you don't submit it to the AWS !!!

She should be banned for life from every artist association.

I had similar situation (but on a lesser scale) just last spring.  I am the 
Exhibits Director for our local art association (300 members).  For our fall 
exhibit, we demand that members who want to exhibit send an artist portfolio 
that is judged by 3 professional artists who are non-members of our 
association.  For our spring exhibit, it's on a first come, first serve 
format.  This artist had sent her portfolio, even if it wasn't requested, 
for our spring exhibit.  When I was looking through it, I noticed a big 
difference between the quality of one of her works and the others that she 
had sent.  I kept going back and forth between the different works and I 
couldn't believe that the same person had done the different paintings.  One 
was really perfect, and even if the quality of the print wasn't great, it 
looked like a photo to me.  We accepted her place for the exhibit (since it 
wasn't judged on the portfolio) but when I went to give her back her 
portfolio during the exhibit, I definitely wanted to check this painting 
out.  She had the painting but it wasn't the same as what was in her 
portfolio.  I kept showing her the differences and telling her that she had 
probably made a mistake by putting her reference photo (at least I hope it 
was hers!)  instead of her painting in her portfolio.  After a very long 
discussion (at least 20 minutes) and probably because I am so stubborn, she 
finally admitted that she had probably made the mistake of putting her 
reference photo instead of her original (?) painting.  I don't know if it 
was intentional or not but she never sent her portfolio to be judged for our 
fall exhibit.

Lorraine Arsenault
arseneaux at sympatico.ca
www.lorrainearsenault.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Debbie Cannatella" <debbie at cannatella.net>
To: "'aquanet'" <aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] AWS controversy

>I was shocked to see this. I found the painting brillianly executed and
> had bragged about it myself.
>
> My friend, Paul Jackson, AWS said the same thing to me this morning in an
> email. He's met the Canadian artist at the exhibition. I believe that the
> law is on her side, though. Paul tells me that by combining the two images
> she makes a completely new and original image. Copyright law says 11%
> different is a new image. Ethically however, she's way over the line and
> professionally she's now pretty tainted. I wouldn't want to have to live
> that down.
>
> I have gotten permission from people to paint from their vacation
> photographs before, but now I stick to my own location sketches, value
> sketches, and resource photos.
>
> This brings up another question for me. If one learns a new technique in a
> workshop and it really speaks to them, then is using that technique
> "copying" another artist's style? I especially wonder about this in
> abstract or collage work. I spent many years in the engineering field and
> was doing some experimental artwork using geometric shapes that I used in
> my highway and bridge design. Then I attended a workshop by an artist who
> used similar shapes with a similar technique... and her technique was much
> more brilliant in color than mine. So I bought the brand of paint that she
> used and tried out it out on Yupo, rather than watercolor paper as I had
> been doing... and I just love the results. Though the compositions are
> completely mine, the result looks like her paintings! I don't do much
> experimental work. I'm primarily a realist painter, but I have enjoyed
> this new technique and want to work more in it.
>
> I can be more specific if you all need... but I'm just curious about all
> these artists (including me) that teach workshops all over... do they
> expect their students to NOT use what they teach? This workshop instructor
> clearly learned the technique from another... and things adapt and change
> as they are passed on and one makes it their own... but where is the line
> drawn?
>
> Debbie Cannatella
> www.cannatella.net
>
>
>> Since it seems to be quiet here on the Aquanet list, I thought I'd pass
>> along something that has become a heated discussion on the Wet Canvas
>> website. Apparently, the gold medal winner at the 2008 American 
>> Watercolor
>> Society show has been accused of copyright infringement. The painting in
>> question is a combination of two photographs taken by a photographer who
>> claims not to have given the winning artist permission to reproduce the
>> images. In addition, there seems to be some question as to whether the
>> winning painting is really a painting at all or, perhaps, a high quality
>> print. The "print or painting" discussion has arisen among photographers
>> who
>> point to a flaw in the photo being visible in the winning painting.
>>
>>
>>
>> Here's the link to the ongoing discussion at Wet Canvas (be advised it's
>> already 14 pages long and still growing) . . .
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=515288
>>
>>
>>
>> If the gold medal winner is ultimately proven to be a fraud, it would 
>> seem
>> to put the AWS in a very awkward position, especially if the "painting"
>> turns out not to be a painting at all. As someone who's never entered a
>> show, I'm fascinated by this story and somewhat surprised that a
>> prestigious
>> group such as the AWS doesn't do more stringent "vetting" of submissions
>> to
>> its annual show.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jack
>>
>> Aquanet mailing list
>> Aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net
>> http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/mailman/listinfo/aquanet
>>
>> Check out the Aquanet web site:
>> http://www.aquanetart.com
>
> Aquanet mailing list
> Aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net
> http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/mailman/listinfo/aquanet
>
> Check out the Aquanet web site:
> http://www.aquanetart.com 