Rosenquist Inspired Appropriation

"The more he identifies with the dominant images of need, the less he understands his own life and his own desires. The spectacle's estrangement from the acting subject is expressed by the fact that the individual's gestures are no longer his own; they are the gestures of someone else who represents them to him." Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle

You are bombarded by imagery, text, and advertising on a daily basis. Could you avoid advertising or mass media if you wanted to? Do you want to? In looking at images of advertising past and present, a social commentary arises. What is the message that you would like to explore through found imagery? Don't forget that you can have a sense of humor in this!

The fine line between appropriation and copyright infringement is an important one to understand. Using the work of James Rosenquist, explore how found imagery can be COMBINED and TRANSFORMED to create ORIGINAL imagery in expression of your own artistic vision and social commentary.

From the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology

"Transformative" uses of copyrighted materials are almost certain to be deemed fair.

Four roughly differentiated interpretations have emerged:

(a) The narrowest interpretation limited the term to parodies

(b) A slightly broader interpretation is that a defendant's work is transformative if and only if it in some way criticizes or comments upon the plaintiff's work.

(c) Some recent opinions have expressly or tacitly adopted a more expansive interpretation, under which a defendant's activity is deemed transformative if it is socially beneficial.

(d) Finally, in several recent cases, courts have taken the view that a defendant's work is transformative if its purpose is different from that of the plaintiff's work.

I expect you to be able to explain and give examples of the following.

If using terminology be able to define or explain rather than just throw the term around.

- - the difference between appropriation and infringement
  - an example of an infringement dispute
    - history of case and why it is a case
    - what was the result of the dispute? Consequences?
    - Do you agree or disagree with the outcome? Why?
  - how you can make sure that you are not infringing on another artist's ideas.

Project Requirements:

1 image from a magazine at least 25 years old
text from mass media
1 contemporary image either found or your own
Consider how the images combine to express Irony, Juxtaposition, or Social Commentary

Planning Considertions:

2+ Pages of Planning
Simplification of color scheme
Continuous line
Final images arranged in 3 different ways
Analysis of how your arrangement of images can be "READ" with peer feedback
Keep an Image Diary while online or watching tv - 1 hour

Blog Reflection

Include photo of planning collage &/or sketchbook

What was your process in deciding upon your imagery and combining it?
Does your work have an underlying message or could the viewer “read” an implied message?
Explain your degree of success in using appropriated imagery to create a unified composition.