The line between porn and art
To some people, porn is “anything a child should not see”. And to some people, a nude body is perfectly natural and acceptable for a child to see.
If porn is in the eye of the beholder, then I have to admit that I do draw a line and at some point say “this is porn”. Porn is anything whose sole purpose is to elicit a sexual response.
Can porn be art? I’m sure it can… If you believe in the definition of art as “that which elicits an emotional response”, then all porn is art. But usually we draw a line – porn or art.
Right to copy
As digital artists we are faced with the questions and concerns of digital copyright every single time we post to the web. Visit any social site where art is commonly posted and you will find ongoing discussions ranging on everything from steps you can take to protect your work, sharing information on known violators, what you can do when you find your work has been copied, what constitutes fair use of your or others’ work, to sometimes even whether you are giving up your rights simply by posting to the site. Fortunately on many popular sites like deviantArt, Flickr, and MySpace, your rights are fully preserved (although deviantArt and Flickr both provide the option of choosing a less restrictive Creative Commons license).
It is that latter spirit, the Creative Commons notion that “Creativity and innovation rely on a rich heritage of prior intellectual endeavor”, in which I ask you to consider a story that challenges the very notions of copyright and plagiarism.
“[Copyright] is taken as a law, both in the sense of a universally recognizable moral absolute, like the law against murder, and as naturally inherent in our world, like the law of gravity. In fact, it is neither. Rather, copyright is an ongoing social negotiation, tenuously forged, endlessly revised, and imperfect in its every incarnation.” – Jonathan Lethem, “The Ecstasy of Influence” http://harpers.org/TheEcstasyOfInfluence.html, Harper’s Magazine Features
Lethem’s piece is an exploration of the vital role that “plagiarism” has had on art, and the dangers that the ever increasing stranglehold of copyright law present to creativity and culture. Much of what he provides as examples lean more toward the fair use end of the spectrum than on outright duplication, however even in that nebulous realm of cut-ups and mash-ups he examines the strangleholds that large corporations and organizations are exerting on the creative and cultural heritage which underlie nearly every aspect of modern culture. He presents the notion that all art is a gift to future art, and ultimately argues that all art is drawn from and built upon things which have come before. He does not suggest that we should give up the rights to our works, but asks us to reconsider how far those rights should really extend.
Ran
Talk Club
An idea I had a little while back.
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1) The first rule of Talk Club is You must talk at Talk Club.
If this is your first night at Talk Club, you must talk. You can talk about your feelings, religion, politics, your day, your family, your hopes and dreams, or nothing in particular. You can bring up topics for discussion or stand on a soap box and preach. But you must talk; if you won’t talk you, you can’t stay. You can come back any time you like, but you must talk!
2) The second rule of Talk Club is You must talk at Talk Club.
You can’t yell. You can’t whine. You can’t sing. You can’t whisper. You can’t have musical accompanyment. You can talk with your hand, with your mouth, with an interpreter, or with a machine, but you must *talk*. If you can’t talk, you can’t stay. You can come back any time you like, but you must talk!
3) The third rule of Talk Club is You can talk at Talk Club.
If someone else is talking, you listen. You don’t have to like what they say, but you have to let them talk. If you disagree with someone, you’re allowed to disagree with them; you are allowed to talk about why you disagree. If someone disagrees with you, they’re allowed to disagree with you; they’re allowed to talk about why they disagree. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom without replies or disagreement. If you don’t allow them talk, you can’t stay. You can come back any time you like, but you must allow them to talk!
4) The fourth rule of Talk Club is You can talk at Talk Club.
You can say anything you like, talk about anything you like. While you have the floor you are allowed to express yourself uninterrupted if you choose. Because this applies to everyone, you may have limited time and have to yield the floor, but you are allowed to say what you like in the time you have. This is about freedom of speech as well as speaking out.