>>298028My anger about the subject is simple.
It's not that the artist used reference, the vast majority does, it's the fact that he stole another artist’s work and claimed it as his own. But it also brings up the fact that Photographers are the most undervalued artists working in the arts, and he's taking advantage of their status. Everyone thinks they could be a pro photographer just like everyone thinks they'd be the greatest writer, director, dancer, actor, musician if someone would just experience their genius. Fuck the hard work someone put into their love of the medium, it's worthless and free because someone put it on the internet. But he takes credit for HIS hard work, even charges for it, and if was only once or twice then it might be understandable, but it's everything he does.
He shouldn't be teaching, professionalism is one of the most important things to teach a young artist, and he has proven he has no idea what that word means. And I have too many friends with exorbitant college loans for art degrees that granted them nothing, the Art Institute is one of the worst offenders, and this is who they choose to teach?
I'm not a photographer, so this isn't resentment speaking. Most of the time I’m happy I couldn’t afford art school seeing where it got my friends.