Link for December 7th, 2009

"Artistic creation is not born ex nihilo from the brains of individuals as a private language; it has always been a social practice. Ideas are not original, they are built upon layers of knowledge accumulated throughout history. Out of these common layers, artists create works that have their unmistakable specificities and innovations. All creative works reassemble ideas, words and images from history and their contemporary context."

"Only after the invention of the creative genius, practices of collaboration, appropriation and transmission were actively forgotten."

"Copyright pits author against author in a war of competition for originality – its effects are not only economic, it also naturalizes a certain process of knowledge production, delegitimates the notion of a common culture, and cripples social relations. Artists are not encouraged to share their thoughts, expressions and works or to contribute to a common pool of creativity. Instead, they jealously guard their “property” from others, who they view as potential competitors, spies and thieves lying in wait to snatch and defile their original ideas. This is a vision of the art world created in capitalism’s own image, whose ultimate aim is to make it possible for corporations to appropriate the alienated products of its intellectual workers."

"The private ownership of ideas over the last two centuries hasn't managed to completely eradicate the memory of a common culture or the recognition that knowledge flourishes when ideas, words, sounds and images are free for everyone to use."

The above from: Copyright, Copyleft & the Creative Anti-Commons

I don't want to exploit anyone's labor. Images and texts were mostly taken from the Internet and are usually linked to where I found them. These images and texts have touched me in one way or another, they've inspired me, made me think, served as a basis for the writing of poetry, etc. If you insist I take one such image or text you consider to be yours and yours only down, contact me, and I might. I'd prefer you to consider my blogging the image or text as a token of recognition, admiration or appreciation though.