Andrea Matus Andrea Matus

Who Gets to Steal? Copyright, Collage, and the Art World's Selective Enforcement

I saw a post in a collage art group a couple of weeks ago that made my blood boil, and I can't stop thinking about it.

An artist lost their show at a senior citizens center. Not because their work wasn't good. Not because it wasn't appropriate. But because the venue manager was afraid of copyright lawsuits. The artist had created beautiful mixed-media pieces using magazine images and photographs, including some recognizable faces like Frida Kahlo. They asked the group: Should I just show work without recognizable faces? Will that solve the problem?

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