Fair Use: Gagosian's Prince

"Prince's bad faith is evident," concluded the judge for the United States District Court, Southern District of New York in 2011. Returning to the law paintings series, this painting is another reference to the contemporary lawsuit, Cariou v. Prince, et al., in which internationally acclaimed artist, Richard Prince, was sued for copyright infringement. Prince appropriated Patrick Cariou's photographs without permission, altered them slightly, and sold them through Gagosian Gallery.

This painting incorporates a portion of the Court's opinion and facts of the case; for example: "Gagosian Gallery sold eight of the Canal Zone Paintings for a total of $10,480,000.00, 60% of which went to Prince and 40% of which went to Gagosian Gallery." While Prince was sued for appropriating Cariou's work, I have appropriated one of Prince's famous nurse paintings here. I do believe, however, that the "fair use" defense to copyright infringement better applies to my work than it does to Prince's in the Cariou lawsuit.

Bad Faith, 10" x 8", oil and paper on wood panel, 2013.

Nocturne for the Lunar New Year

Continuing the series of abstract paintings on plastic sheeting, this is the latest completion. 

Nocturne 02-13, 30" x 28", oil on plastic sheet, 2013.

For the purposes of this series, I prefer plastic sheeting over canvas. The plastic sheet offers an ultra smooth surface, lacking any form of tooth that canvas has. Whereas on canvas the paint can be dragged with a brush just catching the tooth, the plastic surface picks up every brushstroke. The plastic sheet allows me to scrape away paint more effectively, or I can use a stiff dry brush to scumble through wet paint, to reveal the layers beneath and create delicate subtleties. 

In this painting, there is no representational image to latch onto, nor is there a rational explanation which I expect the view to get. But although abstract, the painting is a record of something.

I suppose the title Nocturne can be considered a reference to James Whistler who often painted scenes with titles similar to musical compositions. When Whistler was questioned by a lawyer who criticized one of his paintings for lacking beauty, Whistler responded, "What is the particular beauty of the picture? I don't think I could make it clear to you, any more than a musician could explain the beauty of a harmony to a person who had no ear."

Happy Lunar New Year, and thanks for viewing.

Prince Gagosian

Returning to the law paintings series, this painting is a reference to the contemporary lawsuit, Cariou v. Prince, et al., in which Lawrence Gagosian (international art dealer) is also a defendant sued for copyright infringement.

Affixed to the wood panel is a portion of the published opinion from the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, containing stinging language in its holdings, including "the Gagosian Defendants were well aware of (and capitalized on) Prince's reputation as an appropriation artist who rejects the constricts of copyright law, but they never inquired into the propriety of Prince's use of the Photos."

Prince Gagosian, 10" x 8", oil and paper on wood panel, 2013.

While Cariou earned practically nothing for his photographs, Richard Prince was the artist who appropriated them without any permission, altered them slightly, and sold about $10 million worth through Gagosian Gallery. Hence the lawsuit.

The District Court held both Prince and Gagosian liable for copyright infringement. The case remains on appeal.

Doodle of the Day - Your Safety Is Our Priority

I recently flew on a plane, and as we waited on the runway before the flight, I took a moment to review the Safety Information Card. Wow, I had never seen dialogue in these cards before! The contents of this card really show what to expect in an emergency...

Click on the image for a larger view.

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

The White Wolves

I paint when discussion is pointless, so I'm not interested in discussing a pictorial narrative, if one is suggested by this painting. Discussion is for logic and reason. I just assume shut up much of the time. Especially when it comes to art.

It's a bit ironic that the act of painting is, in theory, a way to simplify. It is an ancient act with primitive roots, yet the complexity of painting, with its infinite forms, mimics the complexities of life. 

The White Wolves, 25" x 40", oil on canvas, 2012-2013.

January - The Gray Painting

This is not a gray painting. It is numerous layers of colors, built up, scraped away, built up, and scraped away, to create subtle effects in texture and color. The abundance of gray is what makes other colors stand out, as in life, when ongoing neutrality is cut by highs and lows.

It was painted on plastic sheeting, and when flipped over, the several layers of different colors are visible from the early stages of the painting.

January, 32" x 44", oil on plastic sheeting, 2012-2013.

January, left detail:

January, right detail:

January, lower detail:

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)

Doodle of the Day - Welcome Back, NHL Hockey...You Losers

So the NHL hockey season is scheduled to begin this weekend after the Lockout finally ended. The Lockout will be remembered as a labor dispute in which the National Hockey League and the Players Association could not agree on the collective grab-ass bargaining agreement.

But now that the Lockout is over, the players are practicing once again and getting back into shape...And getting back into shape...

Thank you for reading about the paintings, sculptures, drawings, works in progress, reviews, Doodle of the Day, and other art by Los Angeles artist Lucas Aardvark Novak. To see older blog posts and other doodles, click HERE :)