Selling Creativity

[John Flavell]

I was approached at an art fair recently by a local "painter/art supply store owner" and asked the following question: Would I be interested in selling a photograph or share in future sales of a painting made from said photograph? Her rationale was that there's a "market there for photographers". She claimed this is a growing trend. I was stunned by the question, but she was asking all the photographers attending the same question.

Anyone else getting similar inquiries?

[James Bleifus]

Personally it sounds strange to me but you should be thankful she asked. A friend of mine was visiting artists during open studio and found that one had appropriated several of his photographs into paintings. She began trying to hide them as soon as he walked through the door. He, in turn, billed the artist for a hefty licensing fee which she paid. Makes you wonder.

Cheers, James

[tim atherton]

"A friend of mine was visiting artists during open studio and found that one had appropriated several of his photographs into paintings. She began trying to hide them as soon as he walked through the door. He, in turn, billed the artist for a hefty licensing fee which she paid. Makes you wonder. "

Maybe she'll be asking for a refund...? Didn't the Courts extend the concept of Fair Use recently and find in favour of a well known artist who samples others work to produce his own, including photographs?

(I remember reading it int he last month or so, but can't remember who the artist was)

[John_4185]

I've had a photograph copied into a large painting and I think it's just a chuckle. I would hope that it's a whole lot easier to point to the photograph as the original; the painter should be ashamed, get a life, go outside.

[William Mortensen]

I always wanted to scan a few well-known Ansel Adams images, convert them to a contour map of the zones, print them on white panels, and sell them with little containers of grey paint as "Paint by Number" kits...

[QT Luong]

Whether royalty are dues would depend whether the work reproduces the photograph enough that it could be considered "derivative". Personally, I entered into contracts with a couple of painters that produce such work (one of them is a "photorealistic" painter, so there is no question). I charge them on a royalty basis a small percentage.