I've been thinking quite a bit about the Chad Love Lieberman sitch here on dA
major-thief-hunters.deviantart… and it's had me thinking about the difference between what CLL has allegedly done (theft, plagiarism, fraud) versus what artists do.
Many years ago I saw a birdhouse quilt square up at Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire. Of course, this was back in the day pre-internet, and I was just leaving the shop heading back to SW Pennsylvania where I lived at the time; couldn't take a picture and there was no way I could look the pattern up later. So I quickly drew one of the squares and then headed off home. Over time I took that block (which was a square) and made it uniquely my own. Eventually, the 4 squares I developed became a queen-sized quilt.*
We've all been in this situation before - we see a piece we like and we do something with it, just as I did with the birdhouse quilt square. But I think the biggest difference between CLL and honest, ethical artists is that we use a piece as
inspiration rather than calling it our own. Just as I did with the birdhouse square and with the countless amazing quilts I see here on dA, when I see something inspirational, I think "Wow! I wonder how it would look if I did "this?"
Which is why CLL really grates my cheese. Rather than be inspired by the wonderful art here on dA he resorted to common thievery. Think of what he could have done if he had been inspired instead ...
Kirsten
MN-Vixen
*
fav.me/d47uaic This is a WIP and it's still waiting to be quilted. I think I've finally gotten to the point where I realize I won't be able to quilt it at home and I'll have to send it out to a professional with a long-arm quilt.