Some people try to paint in my style. Some simply sell pirated copies of my work. Some claim to be my publisher or agent or even my exclusive representative, when they are not.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I have made it a rule for a long time, not to part with the copyright of my drawings, for I have been so copied, my drawings reproduced and sold for advertisements and done in ways I hate.
The copyright bargain: a balance between protection for the artist and rights for the consumer.
I wasn't political enough to write articles about myself or go to cocktail parties, meaning that not only has my art been pirated and my intellectual property rights stolen, but my work has been misrepresented.
My artwork gets stolen all the time; it's ridiculous.
Agents will read unpublished work because they might make money, and that's their job. It isn't mine.
The creative works of the entertainment industry belong to the millions of people who make them and are not for others to steal or unlawfully distribute.
The only way for me to be an artist is to be honest in my craft. If I veer from that, I'm not giving the investors what they want. Sometimes it's my job as an artist to know what I want to do, even when the fans tell me different.
I paint for the sheer joy of painting. I have never sold any of my paintings. I'd rather give them to people for free.
I am very averse to bringing myself forward in print, but as my account will only appear as an appendage to a former production, and as it will be confined to such topics as have connection with my authorship alone, I can hardly accuse myself of a personal intrusion.
No one can come and claim ownership of my work. I am the creator of it, and it lives within me.