#306 – Three Artists At Work

I was listening to a piece about Tracy Emin’s new exhibition at the Tate in Margate, and she spoke about the women doing the embroidery on her pieces, and how she envied their camaraderie. It got me thinking about the people actually doing the work creating pieces of art, which naturally led me to VFX, and also the many stories I’ve heard of great painters claiming their student’s work as their own. I wanted to contrast these against each other, and ask the question of who does deserve credit for a piece of art?

#306 - Three Artists At Work
#306 - back
sent from: Bombay, India. destination: Santa Monica, California, USA

A woman is embroidering a large quilt. She sits with many other women, chatting and working. Her fingers work finely, she crafts carefully, she’s been doing this a long time.
A young digital artist sits at the computer. He’s young, but gifted. The office is empty, everyone else left hours ago. He wants to make the simulation that much better, he spent hours studying real fire the night before.
A painter sits in the studio. She is part of a much more famous painter’s workshop, exploring her own ideas after years of learning from the master. Her choices are bold, adventurous.
Tracy Emin will take the embroidered tapestry, her own design, and will put it on display in a museum where her name is displayed in large letters. She will receive accolades for her work.
The film director will see the results of the digital artist’s hard work, and cut the sequence from the film just before release – “it slowed down the story”, he will say.
The master painter will exhibit his pupil’s bold work as his own, and claim credit. Only after she dies will her work be discovered.

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