There’s someone in Halifax who is copying my paintings and selling them in galleries here and in other places. They are watered down, thin, not very good copies and it makes me very angry. I suppose I should feel flattered but I don’t. It feels insulting. It’s taken me years and years of studying and practice to come to the place where I am now. He hasn’t done the homework and it shows. I know because he took some classes with me and was very hard to teach. In fact, refused to try to learn anything except my techniques. None of the substance that led me to the decisions I make.
It’s not easy to create a good piece of art, one of enduring value, or even to know always when the work is worthwhile. I had some work returned recently from a gallery in Kentucky and was shocked to see what I had sent down. It was really bad. And I had thought, at the time, it was good. Some of my old pieces I still think are excellent, but my judgment was off on these.
But having someone “copy” my way of working and producing inferior paintings……….well that really makes me mad.
Oh, Leya, that is just awful, what he's doing. Is there anything you can do? Anyway to alert the places selling his work that he's ripping off your techniques, and badly so at that?
Posted by: toni at August 14, 2004 03:11 AMI think, Toni, at this point I have to talk directly to him about what he is doing. I have heard from enough people that they have mistaken his work for mine (at least at first) that I need to confront him, tell him it is not right. It should be interesting, to say the least. I don’t think he has any idea of the import of his activities (which is all I can say in his favor right now).
Posted by: Leya at August 14, 2004 06:53 PMOh, man -- that confrontation really cannot be pleasant. I hope so much that it goes well and that it works out in your favor. (But I cannot believe he's that naive -- he knows he can sell them if he imitates you!)
Posted by: toni at August 16, 2004 12:54 AMYes, I am sure it will not be a fun conversation! But it needs to be done. I'll keep you posted!
Posted by: Leya at August 17, 2004 08:29 PM