On the art message boards I frequent, we run into this quite often.

[Archae]

Someone will take a picture that's usually a decade or more old, make a couple changes and Presto!

"I created this!"

They then try to sell it.

Looks like the grifter George Zimmermann is doing this, with his "painting" he sold through eBay.

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=11097

[spartan61]

1. Did someone actually buy it?

If so, that person threw away some big bucks. But then, if he was a George Zimmerman follower, I don't feel sorry about the bogus painting he/she bought.

[HappyMe]

2. It will end up on Pawn Stars.

[Marr]

3. Meh, that's not a problem. His work there is no different from Barbara Kruger's, in theory:

Except I'd say his is simplistic, t-shirt quality garbage and Kruger's work is actually interesting.

[frazzled]

6. Yeah, I was going to mention "Appropriation art" as well

Sherri Levine, Richard Prince, etc.

On the other hand, these artists were upfront about what they were doing: the appropriation was a conceptual part of the work itself. The point of it, in fact.

I don't know that Zimmerman had that intent. Still, there's nothing wrong with appropriating an image ... as long as you have the right to do so and are not simply stealing someone else's work for your own personal gain. Shepard Fairey got busted for it, with his Obama poster. Which, personally, I think was unfair (and politically motivated). Still, there's a fine line between appropriation and theft and protecting artist's rights to their imagery (which I also believe in)--the answer is all in the intent and in the process.

[kcr]

8. I think I read that he was claiming he painted it.

If that's true, and he's claiming it's entirely his own original work, then that's at best dishonest. I agree, there's nothing wrong with appropriating as long as one is upfront about it.

[KittyWampus]

4. #1. apparently you missed the other pre-threads on this topic #2. If you change a photo

significantly and alter it, you are not infringing on copyright.

That's why parodies are generally allowed.

Don't like Zimmerman who is now apparently a full blown scam artist as well as a murderer & spouse abuser.

But he or whomever did that piece of crap he's selling didn't just photo copy it as it and super impose words on it.

[RedCappedBandit]

5. being discussed here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024188920

[kcr]

7. And it's also being discussed here n/t