Appropriation

Appropriation - The act of using elements such as objects and artworks for example, that are not your own, to create a new piece of work. It can be literally defined as taking something over and making it your own in your personal work and there are many ways this can be done such as a pastiche. Artists such as Picasso and Georges Braque used everyday objects in their work bringing the real world into their work. This idea was also worked on by Duchamp who's piece "Fountain" consisted of a men's urinal. These artists used already existing objects made by others in their work.

                                                









Fountain by Marcel Duchamp  (1917)

 http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=26850

                                                Compotier avec fruits, violon et verre by

                                                               Pablo Picasso (1912)

                                       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Compotier_avec_fruits,_violon_et_verre.jpg

Newspapers and other objects have been used in this work by Picasso. He has appropriated these objects and made them his own.

There is often a thin line between what is legal and illegal in appropriational art. During the election campaign of Barrack Obama, a poster was produced by Shepard Fairey using a copyrighted photograph taken by someone else. This caused controversy and led the Obama capmaign to dissasociate themselves with the poster produced by Fairey. After the campaign, the style and idea have been used by others to produce similar posters. This is often done as if a poster or design is popular, it is beneficial for an artist to use the popular image to attract viewers to their own work. However this is illegal and some artists have taken others to court over use of their designs or ideas.

                                                          

                                                           "HOPE" Shepard Fairey

                          http://blackfishart.blogspot.com/2010/08/political-art-and-politics-of.html

                                                        Front page of the Sun newspaper

                                                      http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/5/1273100204265/Election-Day-Front-Pages-009.jpg

References
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/5/1273100204265/Election-Day-Front-Pages-009.jpg
http://blackfishart.blogspot.com/2010/08/political-art-and-politics-of.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Compotier_avec_fruits,_violon_et_verre.jpg
http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=26850
http://www.tate.org.uk/collections/glossary/definition.jsp?entryId=23