2008

CHRISTINE BAILEY

NEW WORK

JANUARY 7 - FEBRUARY 29

Christine Bailey

Artist’s Statement

This was a project in which I adopted a business model from the world of fashion, that of making “designer replicas” to see how-- or if-- that could translate to the business of art making within our local community. The attached image of a fashion pyramid reproduced from  Kal Raustiala and Chris Sprigman’s paper “The Piracy Paradox: Innovation and Intellectual Property in Fashion Design” demonstrates this model. Drawing parallels to this model, I worked in the style of another artist using more economical materials (acrylic wash on paper rather than paint on canvas).

For these paintings, I used the work of Baltimore artist Cara Ober, among others, as a point of reference. My intention was not to harm Ms. Ober personally nor was it to damage her reputation or insult her work. I signed my name to the paintings and included it on all printed and electronic announcements, as I am not in the business of making forgeries or counterfeits.  The images and text are appropriated from various sources, some of which include online clip-art, the dictionary, gardening magazines and an antique book on phrenology.

In making an analogy to the business of fashion and branding, I am not arguing that this is the correct or ethical model for an artist's studio practice. But I do think that it points to many issues and problems relevant to art-making and market forces, including those of intellectual property, authorship, appropriation, the desire for novelty and the legality or illegality of making a picture.

While some in the fashion industry view designer replicas and knock-offs as damaging to business, others see it as beneficial to innovation. Writing on this subject, James  Surowiecki states that "sometimes imitation isn't just the sincerest form of flattery, it's also the most productive." (Surowiecki, James. “The Piracy Paradox”, The New Yorker, Sept. 4, 2007)

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