Mixed Media Research
- Dave Macey
- Jan 15, 2016
- 2 min read
Photomontage and copyright.
As I am now going to be making a photo montage of the Conservative manifesto, I thought it would be prudent to research the copyright implications of using found photographs instead of my own work. The reason for wanting to use found photography is because it will give a much broader range of images than what I would have if I was to rely on my own work. For example, I have taken no pictures of David Cameron, the conservative leader, but there are thousands of images that have been taken of him by other photographers. Consequently I can produce a final piece of art work that will have more depth and insight than relying on own photographs. However, I am aware of restrictions because of the copyright law, especially concerning copying and reproducing someone else’s imagery.
Copyright is necessary and an important part of the creative industry. It offers protection to artists, film makers, musicians and photographers (myself included) of their imagery and in many cases protects the livelihood of those people. Everyone within the creative industries will benefit from copyright in some way, shape or form.
However, in the case of photomontage, I am entering a grey area because I am using other people’s imagery to make a new work of art. Photomontage and collage are accepted artistic practices that have existed since the birth of modernism in the early 20th century but copyright still needs to protect those original images.
But there are a number of reasons why I believe that this will not hamper or restrict my use of photo montage.
The first point I would like to raise is that the artwork is produced for educational purposes. This means that I can’t print and distribute the artwork publicly or sell it for financial gain. The manifesto will have to remain purely a university project. I think I can still display the artwork, for instance if I want to use it as part of the end of year exhibition, but I will not be able to sell it.
The second point is that the images used are being reauthored by myself into a bigger artwork. If it was a case that I was just using one image and that image was substantially reproduced, then this could infringe on copyright. However due to the nature of a photomontage, where elements of the original work will be discarded and changed, this could invoke the fair use disclaimer for the making of derivative work.
So, it seems that there are ways around the copyright law for the use of photomontage and collage, but I need to tread with caution. I will also consult with my tutor about copyright to see what advice they can give, just to be certain that I wont be making something that’s illegal.
Below are some useful links concerning copyright.
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