The copyist & the plagiator
Reflections inspired by this introduction to drawing by @anritco, but mainly by some of the fine plagiarists of Steemit
The copyist
Copying is a great way to pass on information (from the artistic hand-copying of illuminated manuscripts in the middle-ages, to the mundane cut-and-paste of our time). It is the basic way we learn. Language when we are toddlers, socialising when we get older, and then we get educated - which is basically, at least in most circumstances, copying too.
Some of the best illustrators I know have learned from copying cartoonist like Franquin and Corben. And you can count me in. I've copied a lot. When you copy, you use your eyes and hands and ears and all the other automated tools that our body possesses. I always advice people to copy others drawings or stories or music - I see nothing wrong with fan-fiction as there is in the beginning no alternative to copying - that comes later... or at least to some of us it do.
The plagiator
I was never really that bothered by plagiators. I do remember, as a child, having designed an intricate pattern, and then later all the kids had made a copy - that bothered me. But mostly it hasn't. I guess that this is partly because the things I make are often to cryptic or difficult or easy or boring to be really attractive to plagiarise, but I have seen colleges in fistfights over plagiarism. That made an impression. And actually - when confronted with the plagiarism of Steemit - That made an impression too.
Mundus vult decipi...
I have only been on Steemit for a week + a couple of days - and I admit that I might just be a bit naive when it comes to social media - I have left the corporate players many years ago and am hibernating amongst peaceful hippies and anarchists in the decentralized Diaspora*. So when I told my daughter about this atrocity, she just remarked that this was very common on Instagram.
But still... one of the first artist I noticed on Steemit was the grafitti artist called Kalipo. Or at least at the time he seemed to be a graffiti-artist. I immediatly noticed that the fine whole-pieces did not at all look like they were made in the same style - and when Kalipo posted this I knew that something was really amiss:
The image above is the original. Kalipo had removed the written tag (he had some resonable photoshop skills). But now thing are over it seems, for poor Kalipo. He did really make a lot of Steem-dollars in the short time he was there - which is actually rather typical. People seems to like bad photoshopping. (Am I jealous? Of course not. I am never jealous.) But the problem prevails. I read in @orcish s introduction that she had been rather stressed by art thievery on Deviant-art, so I guess it is true - it is something that I have to learn more about. Also because I do not want to post a photo of myself holding a paper with a Steemit logo on like I participated in a Nigerian scam.
Sisyphean conclusio
INTERNET - the final frontier! Not only load of useless information (I know I just used an hour producing more) but also countless hours used by clever people like @pfunk and the other guys I saw in action to try to stem (or steem) up the tide of plagiarists. Time I am sure they could use more handily to the greater good of mankind.
I will end this rant in a minor chord with a beautiful painting by Tizian and many regards to the guards at Steemabuse-classic. The place were you should report if something seems fishy.
@katharsisdrill, plain and simple truth, Plagiarism sucks. It's hard for some to create out of thin air so they take an idea and make changes. Still sucks butt juice.
Yes, still sucks butt juice.