Age Article re Wynn Prize and appropriating

greenfrog · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 795 Location: Fairfield

Double Dutch for our Sam
Adam Fulton
April 14, 2010 - 8:33AM

IF THE painting that won the nation's most prestigious award for a landscape looks familiar, there's good reason: the canvas is strikingly similar to another by a 17th-century Dutch master.

But the judging panel that awarded the $25,000 prize to Melbourne artist Sam Leach insists it is not embarrassed, despite rules that the Wynne Prize is for an Australian landscape.

Leach, 37, whose Proposal for Landscaped Cosmos so closely resembles a 1668 painting by Adam Pynacker, Boatmen Moored on a Lake Shore, said there was a long tradition of artists basing paintings on earlier works.

''There are some key differences there,'' said Leach, 37, who also won the $50,000 Archibald Prize this year for his portrait of Tim Minchin. ''Quite clearly I'm quoting that original work … I'm not sort of ashamed or worried about it.''

Edmund Capon, the director of the Art Gallery of NSW, which awards the prize, said he did not think the paintings' similarity would embarrass the judges ''one jot''.

''When the picture came up, I think everybody looked at it … and they all thought: 'What a wonderful painting - it looks like a late 17th-century Dutch landscape.' And that was my first instinct. So what?'' he said.

''It's not a copy. There's vast differences in detail, apart from the fact that the scale is somewhat different, too.''

It wasn't a problem to have one artist interpreting another accurately, he said. ''There's nothing new about that.''

Artist Lindy Lee, who is one of gallery's 11 trustees who judge the Wynne, said all art was drawn from somewhere and Leach's canvas was small but had a ''vastness'' that was compelling to all the judges.

''For me it was just so obvious that it fell within a genre and in a way was a kind of homage to that genre that it wasn't particularly an issue,'' she said.

''And it's still not an issue that Sam's painting and Pynacker's painting have similar compositions.''

Leach being named winner was not at all embarrassing for the judges. ''Anything you do in the Archibald and Wynne, somebody's going to call it embarrassing for you. And so OK, fine, whatever. This is not embarrassing … I think it's a very interesting question about originality and uniqueness and what makes something authentic.''

Had the judges known how closely the painting reassembled Pynacker's work - held at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam - would they have given Leach the prize?

''This is always hard to say,'' she said, adding that having so many judges made it hard to know.

Dr Lee said the resemblance was not brought up among judges. ''We have to view 1800 paintings,'' she said. ''We are not going to discuss the historical traditions and the lineage of each painting, and even not when it comes down to the final two or three. What you're talking about is the compelling nature of the piece itself.''

Leach said part of his practice involved ''appropriating'' past works and adjusting them.

He did it controversially in 2008 when he adopted a pose from a well-known photo of Adolf Hilter for a self-portrait he entered in the Archibald Prize, which is held concurrently with the Wynne.

As for the Wynne's rule that the landscape be Australian, that wasn't a problem, either.

Leach said his painting that took out the Wynne was ''a projection into some kind of idealised future'' and that people saw landscapes ''through a certain kind of constructed idea of what a landscape should be''.

Sydney Morning Herald art critic, John McDonald, said Leech's painting was ''basically a copy'' of Pynacker's canvas with minor changes - most noticeably the removal of the boat and figures - and that there was unwritten assumption in the prize that it was for an original, Australian landscape.

But Leach was a serious artist who liked to play visual games and use past images, he said.

''I don't think Sam is really the villain here. I think it's the judges who are culpable for making a rather silly decision … It is an embarrassment for the art gallery. It shows up how little judgment they showed.''

This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/double-dutch-for-our-sam-20100413-s7kx.html

The 2 paintings:
http://images.theage.com.au/2010/04/13/1316589/

I love the word appropriating. I have no idea who is right and wrong here, not that it really matters. But it's sooo hard to work out copywrite these days (yes I know its 100 yrs since the artist dies (I can never remember if its 70 or 100 yrs)). I can understand copying a painting or parts of a painting for research / studies / satire / lots of other interesting reasons... But Im not sure I agree with appropriating someones work and then entering it into an Australian Landscape Comp (not sure about entering into any comp actually).

What do people think? Is appropriating then referencing the work OK?

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

Oh dear why did he do it ? what ever happened to originality ( or an attempt at originality) ?
Seeing that it is a very close copy of the landscape part of the Dutch work and is not of an Australian landscape, it does not comply with the rules for the Wynne Prize, so should not have been entered or accepted for entry. I think the other entrants have a reason to be a bit unhappy.

Boris01 · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 228 Location: Western Australia

well there goes any intention I ever had of entering the Wynne prize , looks like the judging is as pathetic as every other competition Ive entered recently

the only way that that painting wining could be any more of an insult to all the artists who worked hard and came up with something original is if this twit printed it out onto his canvas and traced it with paint

mariegreen · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 82 Location: Great Barrier Reef

It is relatively impossible now to really check if one artists work is original per se as Google Images have a lot to answer for! Very Happy

However in this case the original work hangs in the house where my beloved Rembrandt holds court and all works there have been seen by anyone surely who puts themselves out as a responsible art judge at the level of Wynnes.

That said, shame on NSW Gallery for not stepping in immediately and rectifying this appalling situation. It is not like the awful choices made for the Archibald where one at least can sit in a corner mystified at the ugliness of the winner and original work. This is purely a copy - OK lets see if we can find what he copied for his winning portrait Smile

Nah I cannot be bothered. A Thief is a thief until you cut of his hands.

The legal situation of the Gallery is clear regardless of the smoke screen. Last year in little down town Bundaberg, the Bundaberg big art show had the first prize for sculpture awarded to a lad Liam Mathers for his vinyl pillow with a photograph of a naked chap lying on the pillow. This caused a lot of shock and consternation because the rules said the sculpture had to be for out of doors display. Not to mention the lad had enterred the exact some thing but in mattress size and won in a previous Bundaberg comp but indoors. So - Bundagerg arts withdrew his prize and awarded elsewhere and justice prevailed.

And on a final note - if anyone thinks the artist who painted the original work was painting an Australian landscape please check the year of creation LOL

gggraph

With all due respect to the judges and crtitics: that's a copy, not a homage.

One can only presume he left the boats out because they were too hard.

It would make good 'Spot the Difference" puzzle in a kids book...

Grant

Chardonnay · Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Gold Coast

This sets a precedent now for future shows.

Whoo hoo! I may just enter the Wynn myself next year, now I know that I can copy an old European painting and call it an Aussie landscape vision. Saves a lot of hard work on the composition! Yay!

mariegreen · Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 82 Location: Great Barrier Reef

Chardonney - don't hold back, enter the Archibald with the Mona Lisa! Smile

gggraph

Dug · Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 4837 Location: Gippsland

I might buy a paint by numbers book and enter the competition myself Sad

Chardonnay · Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Gold Coast

Grant what a good idea. If you dedicate it appropriately then you should be fine!

Well after I quickly whip up my Mona Lisa for the Archibald, (thanks Marie for such a fine idea) I'm going to paint Van Goh's starry night, and modify the placement of the stars. They will be arranged in the shape of the southern cross which definitely makes it Australian!

Also while I'm at it, a quick trip to China is in order.

If it's deemed acceptable by the powers that be, for Sam Leach to copy and slightly modify an old masters art work, then surely that means that all the imported copied artwork bought into the country is of greater value? .........After all, they are copies of brilliant artwork painted by a person with great craftsmanship too.

Boris01 · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 228 Location: Western Australia

Grant maybe you should copy ( sorry , homage ) sam leach's tracing ( sorry , painting ) and see if he tries to take you to court for copyright , the resulting entertainment should be pretty hilarious

then I'll copy the copy of a copy

Dug · Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 4837 Location: Gippsland

I wonder if Sam Leach would mind if I enter a photo of his painting into a photographic competition as an homage ?

ocker1 · Joined: 27 Sep 2008 Posts: 775 Location: NZ

I think the whole thing stinks , he should be made to hand all money back , banned from ALL future art awards , the judges fined heavily, or at least publicly horse whipped

and thats all I gotta say about that

gggraph

sunfire · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 1430 Location: Toodyay

I agree Ocker, you put that very nicely, I also agree with what everyone else has said to, there is no way I will ever be able to look at a piece of his work & not wonder if it was just copied (stolen).
He may as well just paint by numbers, obviously not clever enough to come up with anything original.
It's cheating, & an insult to all the other honest entrants,