high profile painter?
Toronto artist Les Patterson has scored a remarkable amount of publicity this last week for making Marge Simpson's paintings....yes, that's right, he's recreated as actual paintings the images "created" by cartoon character Marge Simpson. It seems he views the episodes, and freezes the key frames with the paintings and reproduces them. He signs them Marge Simpson. His exhibition has received more publicity in the last week than most Toronto artists are likely to garner in their careers. I'm talking about a full page in the National Post, and a huge article in the Toronto Star, plus I heard him on CBC's Here and Now the other day. The host asked if he was worried about being sued for copyright violations and he ventured the opinion that the Simpsons corporate machine likely wouldn't be bothered with a little artist like him. I wonder what happens when somebody buys the paintings? Does Mr. Patterson send the proceeds, or a portion of them to the owners of the rights? I suspect he doesn't, but maybe I'm way off base.
It makes me tremendously sad that the only time our local media embraces painting with a little gusto is when it depicts images lifted from a TV cartoon. On that score, Mr. Patterson sure figured out the right buttons to press.
The wheel is in spin.
3 comments:
So it has come to this now? Too bad for anyone with original ideas if that is possible. One thing though: Andy Warhol started out painting Batman from comic books.
The artist is free to do whatever he wants, and the idea is clever for sure. I was just taken aback at how much publicity surrounded the whole business.
Well, it is sad...not that the artist painted from The Simpsons (as a long time devoted fan, I appreciate the actions of recreating her paintings) but what is sad is how far removed from appreciating art that critics and media can ONLY attach themselves to something that they understand in a one note sort of way. the interest is about whether or not he will get sued. and the audience will not be afraid of misunderstanding the art...they under stand, that at leaast much feel good. but I remember when Big City Improv where I participated in many workshops and shows...had the house Improv Group threatened by paramount because they would recreate Star Trek classics. They were forced to quit. And this too got lots of press.
I really like the idea of someone making Marge's paintings I think that is fine and cool...but it is sad no one looks or can feel comfortable giving lots of art that kind of coverage wahy NOT EVERY WEEK???? why not? What's the big deal? Embrace art work around the country every week and make the effort to ask questions and understand the art...I would call these paintings a kind of relative to "metafiction" trend and that is cool...but how sad that artists get so little coverage per week...per year nil.
It's like the same old idea that we would think the only artists ever in Canada were the fucking group of seven. Enough already.
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