Copyright and the Rights of Models

Photographs, portraits, and sculptures often incorporate or focus on a human subject – a model or models. But whether those models are willing or unwilling, have consented or not consented to having their image used in a work varies widely from piece to piece. What are the rights of the models who form the subject of an artwork, and what should an artist be aware of when using a model in his or her work? Do you know how to avoid running afoul of model’s rights in your work? Read more

Part Deux of the Artist Analysis

Hello again, blog readers! Here is the promised Part Deux of the artist analysis.
 
Painters: One of the more traditional of artistic disciplines, the painter is sort of a purist. Hopefully, a true passion for the subject matter and patience can yield the power to produce works of surprising beauty.

Performance: Mad genius or attention seeking buffoon?  An ability and willingness to experience and show real emotion is the true test of this sensitive creature. For extremely rational types, this may be a hard catch to swallow, but only time will tell of the wait was worth it.
 
Photographer: Life of the party, or simply watching from the wings? It can be hard to tell. A love for the subject matter as well as ambition and sex appeal can sometimes mask a goofy kid. Usually a charmer, this chameleon may stop at nothing in search of the perfect shot.
 
Print makers: I find this archetype to be the most meticulous of the group. A love of precision, control and clean lines denotes a slightly anal personality, but a love of experimentation and wit can often make it worthwhile.
 
So what do you think, sound like anyone you might know? I must remind you, these are my own personal observations based on my experience with such artists. But I would love to know what you think, so leave me  a comment if you agree or perhaps and with good reason, disagree. I would love to hear you thoughts.

The Sunday Painter

For a place that is reserved for quiet and a day of rest, libraries on a Sunday are some chattiest places on earth. As a former employee of the public library, one of my favorite conversationalists was an artist who went by the name of Matt C. He was” a big time glassblower in the ‘70’s”, as he put it, and knew all sorts of  amazing stories and people. He would feed them to me, bit by bit, enchanting me with tales of artists, week-end trips to New York and the artists that he had met, stories about his young daughter, and of course his own life and philosophies. He had since given up glass blowing but found he better enjoyed his days when he awoke each morning to work on a series of oil paintings about his ancestors. Staring at the canvasses on the wall, he would paint bits and pieces until it was as though they had finished themselves. He said it just felt better to walk through the world each day after he worked on these pictures of his life. After he finished them, they were shown at one of the local galleries in town. I found myself standing there with tears in my eyes as I saw the stories he had so carefully recounted to me coming through in soft, muted, earthy colors, generations living and breathing on the canvas. 

So this one goes out to the Sunday painters and library lurkers, the very salt of the earth. 

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