Right, Left, Wrong

Creative Commons is an example of an open source that provides a creative point of departure for individuals. However, in using someone else's work, the work is no longer a catalyst, but has the potential for mis-use or even plagarism. It also allows another individual to gain from someone's previous labor. This can create a situation where resources are being taken advantage of and become less appreciated. This is the irony of the generous act involved in free exchange systems. It is important for artist's unique talents to be recognized.

Some of Candace Breitz's work are great examples that demonstrate fair re-use of source material. She works in various media from photography to video and incorporates common image and sound into new forms. Breitz creates work that mashes up everyday images, which reflect pop culture. These images include iconic movie stills of celebrities. She also creates theatrical sets to photograph her subjects of everyday people within. Her work is direct descendant of Andy Warhol.

Nine Jacks, 2001, Digital Colour Print on Plexglas

Abba Monument, Berlin, June 2007, 2007, Digital C-Print Mounted on Disasec

She utilizes recognizable images and songs of celebrities to bring focus on the everyday person. As in the piece Legend, individuals are composed together and connected through a presentation of monumental scale. Each piece is necessary to make the whole picture, which is a reflection upon the society at large.

Feminist perspective encompasses Breitz's Rainbow Series, which include pornographic images taken from mass media publications. These sexually explicit images of women are cut and collaged into new forms when combined with stereotypical representations of African people. The new female form represented in the collage speaks to xenophilia and scopophilia. This occurs through a mix of mass produced, pornographic images of women juxtaposed with portraits of tribal African people. The work points to issues of segregation, racism and the fear of the unknown in humanity.

Rainbow Series #1, 1996, Cibiachrome Photograph

Breitz also plays with text to create meaning in her works. For instance in Ghost Writer she re-purposed a novel to create poetic messages with the text by whiting out portions of the existing text in the book. This work along with others combines language in relationship to movement, rhythm and pattern in both literal and visual terms. The Surrogate Portraits calls upon the generality of individual names and conveys unity through a diverse sampling of people.

The Ninety Days of Genevieve 32 - Pubic Hair, 1999, Tippex on paper

Surrogate Portraits (Bill+Monica), 1998, Colour Photograph

One Minute of Mother, 2005, Photographic Score,
Installation View Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon, Spain

Notions of identity are at the core of Breitz's works. There is a duality that exists in the work as she playfully constructs images that create dialogue about both differences and commonalities. Through this conversation unique differences are recognized as belonging. In the end there is sameness in difference.

Another remix artist Danger Mouse orchestrated a collaboration between the Beatles White Album and Jay Z's Black Album to create the Grey Album. This creative project also brings together difference through familiar. A call and response between the historical to contemporary time occurs stylistically. The past is recognized by employing the Beatles with Jay Z in a respectful manner, as the music is remixed in a way that creates new from the appropriated material. Jay Z released an a cappella version of his Black Album specifically for uses of remix and mash up. Use of The White Album did not occur with such permission. In this case, copyright laws require taking responsibility, so the production of the album ceased. Unlicensed copies can still be acquired from supporters of a free trade system.

Radiohead's most recent album, In Rainbows also challenges the consumer market of the music industry. The band chose to release their original album for a limited time through their website allowing fans to pay what they choose to download the album. This is a great example of the artist taking legal issues of production and consumption into their own hands.