PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Image Reproduction & the Copy
Richard Prince is known as being one of the most infamous appropriation artists today. Due to his “artistic style” of manipulating the work of others; re-photographing, copying, and scanning, he has crafted a technique of appropriation and provocation, and to date, the subject of many lawsuits.
While Prince may feel it's fine to "steal" artwork, Photographer Donald Graham doesn't. His image "Smoking a Joint” was used in Prince's New Portraits exhibit without permission. Mr. Graham filed a cease-and-desist order against Prince, and then filed a lawsuit in 2015.
Because Castro did not sign the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, Korda nor the Guevara family has earned anything from the billions of reproductions of his iconic image. Without copyright protection, anyone can use it without permission.
An image that hung in a studio for over 6 years would become the face and symbol used whenever conflict arose, regardless of where it was taking place...
...and then become inspiration for other artists and advertisers, who would go on to profit from their works, unlike Alberto Korda, the photographer who took the photo.
