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News & ArtsSaturday, June 20, 2009
Visual Art / Mailbag You Had to Steal Their Chuckle
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Now I'm not pretending like this is a great piece of art, but I painted it and hung it to spread a smile around my neighborhood. An old telephone pole had been updated and all that remained was an urban stump. I was inspired to create the attached, but within 90 minutes of me hanging it, it was gone.I live in Wallingford, which teems with children and 30- to 40-something breeders, all of whom might enjoy the nod to the great Doctor. But, no, you had to steal their chuckle.
Perhaps this admittedly crude painting will hang in your dorm room or stoner basement, but guess what: Without context it has no point. It is not funny. You fucking suck and I hope you die, punk.
DOUG.
3
Strange that someone who appropriated a copyrighted character for their own (albeit rather innocuous) purposes would take such umbrage with someone else appropriating their appropriated image for some other purpose.
5
That is really cute, and it's sad it's gone. At the same time, probably don't need to get violently angry.
Nice work though.
Nice work though.
6
I'd be disappointed and a little pissed (although, I'd stop short of wishing death upon the thief). Creative output like this adds character to its surroundings and should be encouraged rather than stolen.
Doug's repurposing of this character left in place the original expression--no illustrations were excised from the pages of any books. But when the painting is taken, it's gone. So, boo on the thief and cheers to Doug.
Doug's repurposing of this character left in place the original expression--no illustrations were excised from the pages of any books. But when the painting is taken, it's gone. So, boo on the thief and cheers to Doug.
7
@3, you repeat the most common (and illogical) argument for copyright infringement as theft: copying is stealing. However, appropriating the image didn't take anything away from the Geisel estate (if anything, it's free advertising - we're all thinking about the Lorax now); but taking this specific painting took something (a physical work of art) away from the artist. Quite different.
@3, you repeat the most common (and illogical) argument for copyright infringement as theft: copying is stealing. However, appropriating the image didn't take anything away from the Geisel estate (if anything, it's free advertising - we're all thinking about the Lorax now); but taking this specific painting took something (a physical work of art) away from the artist. Quite different.
9
@1: Is there an understanding that something COULD be stolen? yes. Should there be an expectation that it WILL be? depends on your outlook on the human race. Also, you sound like a douche.
Doug, to put @1's thoughts into more realistic terms, when you put something like this out as you did, there is always a possibility that it will disappear, which is a risk you have to accept. Often, you win, sometimes, the punks do. Look at it this way, someone's home is now brighter for possession of your art.
And you're wrong. It isn't crude; it's fucking BRILLIANT. More, please. Paint five more and bolt those fuckers on the pole!
Doug, to put @1's thoughts into more realistic terms, when you put something like this out as you did, there is always a possibility that it will disappear, which is a risk you have to accept. Often, you win, sometimes, the punks do. Look at it this way, someone's home is now brighter for possession of your art.
And you're wrong. It isn't crude; it's fucking BRILLIANT. More, please. Paint five more and bolt those fuckers on the pole!
11
It's cool, I love it, but @1 is right, there's no way something like that is going to stay up for long.
14
You just have to look at any public art that you make as inherently temporary. So it's more like a sand castle than a granite monument. Is that so bad?
Not to mention that what you made lives on here online; I, like many others, probably wouldn't have seen it if it had just remained up in the real world.
Not to mention that what you made lives on here online; I, like many others, probably wouldn't have seen it if it had just remained up in the real world.
15
It's funny that you assume someone took it to keep it.
Maybe someone thought it sucked and didn't want it hanging up along their walk? Maybe in their mind they were directing the same indignation at you for having put it there in the first place. I mean, it's not good art or anything. With context it had no point either.
Maybe someone thought it sucked and didn't want it hanging up along their walk? Maybe in their mind they were directing the same indignation at you for having put it there in the first place. I mean, it's not good art or anything. With context it had no point either.
16
Wait- so this thing gets stolen right away, yet the that freaky guy's face plasted all over Capitol Hill has remained up for weeks? Fuck, there is no justice.
18
Stoners? Renters? Punks? What else, was it the blacks? The only people who go down that street are yuppie homeowners, who notoriously cannot tolerate anything that is unusual or new. Blame those breeder NIMBY homeowners, who almost certainly threw it away. Move to a better neighborhood if you want people to appreciate public art.
20
@19, hoping for something to happen is a far throw from making a threat, you ignorant moron. I hope you fucking choke to death on your own stupidity.
22
i guess you are unfamiliar with the extremely pervasive trend in seattle called "free art." even my kid leaves artwork out for people to take, that's the whole point. oh well, at least you are really generous about it.
24
For a guy that's worried about stealing, you sure don't seem to mind violating my copyright.
Fucking douchebag!
Signed,
-- Dr Seuss ---
For a guy that's worried about stealing, you sure don't seem to mind violating my copyright.
Fucking douchebag!
Signed,
-- Dr Seuss ---
26
@18: lizzie, you're right! Everyone in Wallingford is a yuppie breeder NIMBY homeowner without appreciation for art and who can't tolerate anything new! I'm leaving right now to move to a COOL neighborhood!!
28
Cheers to you for creating public art, especially art with a sense of humor. Please don't let this negative action stop you. The painting thief doth suck.
29
I set up 4 amazon sized plywood cutouts of bathing beauties on my garage overlooking the sidewalk in the same neighborhood. It was like a pool party every day on my street! The party ended when they all disappeared days later. I have one left, and by inscribing "You can steal my art, but you can never steal my heart" on the back, she has stayed safely home. You too may appropriate this protective spoken amulet!
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