Borrow or Steal?
A very interesting article in New York Times titled “The Image is familiar; the pitch isn’t” caught my attention today. The article is about the artists’ accusing advertisement agencies and global brands for stealing the ideas behind their original artworks. The difficulty of protecting the whole creation behind art is revealed in the argument. The conclusion, which in my opinion is the best section, touched a very important point. None of us actually steal anymore. We borrow to make the previous better and let the future generation take on from there.
A professor at Purchase College revealed “Culture is about ongoing borrowing. It is about taking images, ideas and motifs and opening them up to new users.” I completely agree with this argument. With all the technology that surrounds our lives today we have entered into an era of mass absorption and consumption. We came to a point where we can no longer accuse anyone for stealing, borrowing or misusing an idea (especially the idea behind an artwork) unless that person confesses the crime.
If the artist starts questioning the agency that is claimed to steal his/her idea, couldn’t the whole society accuse the artist for stealing from its unique culture? Unless the artist succeeds in creating a trademark for his/her own work and directly represents his/her point of view in an idea borrowed from the society at large, it becomes almost impossible to claim rights for something that was never owned by anyone in the first place. There is not much left, but to accept the fact that we are all borrowers of ideas. If there is no ownership there are no thieves.
I guess the only safe way for an artist to make sure he/she gets credit for everything that relates to his/her creativity is to make the work visible and easily accessible by the public on the internet and the media. Only than can we remember and acknowledge the original founder of a borrowed idea.