re: #382 bruxellesblog

Right…small problem with this theory.

When Dave Brubeck covers “Take the A Train”, the song is listed on the record “words and lyrics by B. STRAYHORN”. If Dave Brubeck were to write, let’s say, Take the B Train, and it has the same exact chords, lyrics, and melody, as take the A Train, then guess what? Hey Presto! Its Plagiarism!

Now, there is influence and quotation, like, Monet and Manet reinventing still life’s inspired by many of the great artists. Or perhaps the example of Picasso’s nudes going back to Rubens and Botticelli, but this is a BIG difference from basically copying verbatim the work of Monet and calling it your own. Yes, that is legally defined as plagiarism.

Now, does this matter in this case? Probably not, and I’ll hold out the benefit of the doubt that this was simply and act of ignorance on the part of the Obamas. Still, the art is certainly not original, and does simply copy the work of Henri Matisse. Granted, not an exceptional work, but one would be hard pressed to not call the work of Alma Thomas a pale copy of the collage of Matisse.

Besides, there are better ways to do collage. One of my favorites is by David Hockney. [Link: cti.itc.virginia.edu…]

Does it matter? There are far more important things to criticize “The One” about. However, I would say that there are a bunch of pretty poor artists receiving grant money and exposure, not due to talent, but PC nonsense. I think Iowahawk has done a great job slamming that better than I ever could recently. [Link: iowahawk.typepad.com…]

Reading must be hard for all the instant art critics, so I’ll repeat myself for about the sixth time: you don’t know what you’re talking about, and had you bothered to read the exhibition catalog linked in this threads headliner (I know, reading again; sorry to put you out) you would find primary refutation of your ignorant statement - or rather, the ignorant statement you skimmed off Malkin’s Den of Ignorance and Drool and parroted here without so much as a single thought or glance at reality.