THEFT and VIOLATION - ACTIVIST ART EXHIBITION - FREE GIFT

"Maybe the thing you’re scared of is exactly what you should do.  Sometimes life is about risking it all for a dream no one can see but you."

This is how I felt as I attacked an exhibition piece for the upcoming ACTIVIST ART exhibition. The mandate was to create a piece of art that illustrates a cause and encourages the viewer to think deeper. This would be my first collage for many years and a complete departure from my recent work.

THEFT and VIOLATION
18" X 24" MIXED MEDIA plus 11" x 8.5" Libretto
ORIGINAL ART BY KAY SMITH, COLLAGED BY SEA DEAN

Buy now, gift wrap and relax with a smile when everyone is still rushing around in December. Everyone purchasing from now till 25th December 2013 receives a free print as a thank you.

To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks. As it is currently on exhibit, contact me to purchase this painting, or prints.

activist ART
OPENING NIGHT 15 November 7pm

15th November 2013 - 2nd January 2014
Leir House Cultural Center
1-220 Manor Park Ave
Penticton, BC
Canada 

BRYCE BECKETT
SEA DEAN
DAVID JACOB HARDER 
JAMES L HAYES
KRISTINE LEE
SHANNON LESTER
MICHELLE LOUGHERY
SEAN RILEY
ENDRENE SHEPHERD
JOHANN WESSELS 

"Activist art is art that incites the viewer to action; it influences deeper consideration of an issue, and creates movement towards change for the better." ~E.S.

About the show: 'Activist Art' will provide viewers with an opportunity to witness the power of art in social activism. How can the visual arts help in fighting for social justice? Learning about activism empowers people by helping them to understand the wide variety of possibilities for affecting change, beginning in our own communities. Activism is not limited to political issues; rather, it is open to any issue of our day, local or worldwide. Human rights, Women's rights, Aboriginal rights, LGBTG rights, animal rights. It's all fair game: oil, race and gender, the media, the cult of celebrity, disabilities, energy, food safety, transportation, climate, health, sexuality, war, sustainability, the internet, patriotism... the list goes on and on.

Art has the unique ability to unlock minds in a way that other medias cannot touch. Its effectiveness lies in its openness to interpretation, in its ability to raise emotion and tickle raw nerves. This is a show that should fill the viewers with more questions than answers

“THEFT and VIOLATION” by Sea Dean
Preview of LIBRETTO included in installation

Kay Smith - Wednesday, Apr 17, 2013 8:40 pm – Email:- Subject: copyright infringement/be careful

(un-watermarked image CHRISTY’S ZINNIAS 15” x 22” by Kay Smith)

This afternoon I got the shock of my life! I was in Midland shopping and the last store I went to was a brand new TJ Maxx/Home Goods. I was looking for patio chair cushions. One pillow caught my eye, about 18" long, maybe 6-8" wide, rectangular shape. It was MY ARTWORK!!!!!!!!!! Unauthorized copyright infringement!

So I went to work with my iPhone, snapping all its labels, front and back and the pillow itself. Colors were a little different but not that much from my Christy's Zinnias. Now I'm going to visit their website and see if it's listed there. On my way out, I grabbed a credit card application to give me a place to start calling. Do any of you have any other ideas? One of the tags on it said it originated in India, but was produced in the US! No doubt they lifted it off my blog as on the website each is watermarked. Now my image uploads are small, 800 with 72 dpi and saved to a small quality file.

Kay Smith - Thursday 26 September 2013

TJ Maxx and Target copyright infringement of fine artists on home décor

http://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.ca/2013/09/floral-lilies-copyright-infringement-by.html

(image from Target Australia website – image stolen from Kay Smith Brushworks Blog on cushion)

It has happened again. Twice this year my floral watercolors have been stolen and reproduced without authorization/license agreement (copyright infringement) by a major retailer and marketed as cushions or pillows.  This current design here is on Target Stores/Australia's website. A Canadian artist spotted it and alerted me today to the blatant disregard for artist's intellectual property.  I have contacted Target, as I did with TJMaxx/Home Goods in April this year to cease marketing stolen images.  Disgusting!

Kay Smith - Thursday 26 September 2013

Florists Lilies Original Watercolor

http://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.ca/2013/09/florists-lilies-original-watercolor.html

(image FLORISTS LILIES by Kay Smith with watermark ) - Image COPYRIGHT 2011 Kay Smith.

Watercolor original, first posted on this blog November 22, 2011, an image I did not watermark.  Compare to the Target cushion described and pictured in my earlier post today.  The lower ¼, which contains my signature, was conveniently cropped. Here is the 11/22/11 post:

Kay Smith - Tuesday 22 November 2011

Florist Lilies

http://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.ca/2011/11/florist-lilies.html

(un-watermarked image FLORISTS LILIES by Kay Smith 22” x 15”)

Watercolor floral of pink and white and yellow lilies from the florist.

Painted loosely wet in wet there are also red toned flowers behind calla fillers. No masking was used.

From: Sea Dean To: Artist Kay Smith - Thursday Nov 7, 2013

Hi Kay, I was very inspired by your blog and submitted a proposal for an activist art exhibit. The proposal was accepted. I am going to create a collage of various words and images intended to make people think before downloading and using images from the web without permission. Therefore, as your example is so shocking and the image so beautiful, I would like your permission to feature it in the collage.

Naturally I will keep your contact information prominent. I am also interested if there is something I can include about the previous event you mention.

Here's hoping this will have some impact and make the visitors to the exhibition think twice before copying images from the internet. Big or small, it is all theft.

To: Artist Sea Dean From: Artist Kay Smith - Thursday 7 Nov 2013

Hi Sea.  Yes, that would be wonderful!  Thank you.

Kay Smith

www.kaysmith.artspan.com

http://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.com

Your suggestions on combating this type of crime welcome ………..

Cat # 13253 THEFT and VIOLATION