It’s a shame so many ethical questions are rising all at once… Shady contests, dramatic feelings about reselling, and now downright forgery. I guess it makes a great story, though, so here we go with revived Ethics page.
SmallWorlds won’t let us name names on the forum, so how we gonna know who’s doing what? We’ll discuss it right here. I, myself (Troy O-Boy) decline to name any names (or other nouns). I’ll leave that up to you, my loyal readers. Post what you like in the comments here. Did you get scammed? Have your work stolen? Are you the victim of some new unholy practice that I’m too innocent and naive to think up? Leave a comment!
My part in this will be to track down the person, place, or thing you mention in your comments. If I agree, to a sufficient degree, with what you say, I’ll approve your comment and it’ll be here for the world to see. If I’m outraged, I’ll set up a Hall of Shame on this site and woe unto all those who appear there.
Enjoy!
I am still reeling by recent events in the art community in the realm of SW. I have started many outraged threads only to discover that you cannot “name names” or post pictures that incriminate anyone. They are protected by the rules designed to keep the peace, but in this case, the protect the crime and leave SW members vulnerable to future victimization.
I am grateful that there is going to be a place where you can post wrong-doings in order to try to protect others. I am equally glad that those accusations will be investigated before approving the name to list.
The events that triggered the fiasco is as follows: Loving to tour art galleries far and wide on SW, I saw an ad for a gallery on the Art Art Art thread and decided to check it out. Upon arrival I was aghast to discover that a piece of “my artwork” was hanging on the wall. Someone had changed it dramatically (facial features were distorted and details removed) and then forged my signature back onto the bottom. It was renamed something else and listed as a pice by me, Rabbit. Furious and frustrated I posted a thread on the forum pertaining to this event. Other members subsequently visited the gallery and found that their pieces had their signatures removed and the gallery owners name was written in their place. The gallery was entirely made up of forgeries!!
A public outcry arose, and although SW did not respond favorably, Troy O Boy, author of SmallWorlds Art Scene Blog did, and this Ethics page was born! YAY!!
Thank you.
Name for the list: pseudo scorpion
location: her home space AKA: scorpion’s crib
crime: forging multiple works by multiple artists – changing the work, signing their signature and/or signing her signature to works not done by her and then displaying them in a gallery.
unfortunately i have a 2nd name for the list. Previously Smiley Face (5), now: Smiley Face (9)
A person bought a forgery and then brought my attention to it.. she had drawn ove rmy signature and added her own..the ruined piece is now owned by a collector. meanhile..prrof is in the pudding.. smiley returned to my place and wrote nasty comments..then in a response email confesses her plagarisms:
“the only thing i have done to make you mad was use your idea and try it my self and i changed around a paitning i baught from you but i never forged any signatures.” she lies..she signed it as well. she also writes: “forgery is one thing………copying a painting/drawing YOURSELF is another…its a free country people do what they want!” in a response to a rant in the forum..
she obviously forges her name on things, lies about it, and does not consider altering other’s work unethical or copying it to the best of her ability.
anyway.. i don’t know if other SW artists read this column..but hopefully this is the last i have to add to it.
This is a good approach to what, for some, may be a controversial topic. Very well though out post. – That’s our strongest weak point. – Samuel Goldwyn 1882 – 1974