Is This Yours?

Over the last few months I've been getting emails, Facebook posts and Instagram inquiries from other people  sharing pictures of work that resemble my Inkscapes. A lot of them have been from friends who have posted out of concern that perhaps my images are being ripped off by another artist or some mega-corporation. Other postings have been from complete strangers who may or may not think I have ripped off someone else or are not sure if I am the artist associated with a work done by someone else.  While I appreciate that there are people looking out for me and that my work is reaching a wider audience, I have to keep it real: it's really annoying and I wish people would stop doing it. Please allow me to elaborate.

The process that goes into creating my Inkscapes is something I stumbled upon after starting my art career as a painter. I used to paint mostly in watercolor and as any painter knows, you often have rinse your brush off by repeatedly dipping it in water. Whenever I used to do this, I would always marvel at the beauty of opaque clouds that spread in the pool of water.

Then I became a photographer and after focusing mostly on street photography for nearly two years, I wanted to "return to my roots" by finding a way to incorporate painting into my photography, and remembered the billowing clouds of color created by my paint-soaked brush and that's how my Inkscapes were born. As any who has been following for a while has known, my work has developed over the last two years and is a constantly evolving process.

Having said that, I have come to realize and accept that I am not the only artist in the world who does this type of "water art".  Long after I started doing these, I came across other photographers who did similar work but I could definitely see a distinct difference in their style and approach. This is not uncommon in the art world. Do you think Jackson Pollock was the only artist in his day that dribbled and splashed paint on canvas in a seemingly abstract pattern? Was Ansel Adams the only photographer who took majestic photographs of incredible landscapes?

As I also mentioned, I have friends worriedly telling me about this other Inkscapes-like photographs out of fear that I am being ripped off. I'm not; you can't trademark or copyright a technique. What's protected is each unique image that I and I alone create, which is why I go to lengths to create copyright protections for my work.  Don't forget, ya'll, I'm also a lawyer. I got this.

I can't worry about whether is someone is doing work that is similar to mine but as I matter of etiquette (and I know I will have to repeat myself again) I really wish people would stop posting images on my Facebook page or emailing me about who's work is similar to mine.  It adds nothing to the conversation and quite frankly, publicly takes away from my own unique contributions in a public forum. Artists like to be able to add their own distinct interpretations of a theme or idea. We don't like being told how much our work looks like someone else's. Please stop.

I think my friend and fellow artist, Lynite "Elle" Solomon, puts it best:

"Sometimes it's back to the drawing board but mostly I try to stay true to what I know and love as there's always room for growth and everyone. I've learned that I wasted valuable time worrying...and less time creating for many years. Don't let this haunt you or you'll go bananas. Go forth."

And that is exactly what I intend to do.