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5.1 Plagiarism vs Appropriation

4 min readoctober 27, 2020

S

Sherry Ross

S

Sherry Ross

What’s the Difference Between Plagiarism and Appropriation?

This is a tricky concept for people to grasp. As a rule of thumb, a found (re)source image (one you found on the web instead of taking yourself) must be at least 65% changed to be considered an  rather than . Artistically, simply means to take a source image that is not your own and change it SIGNIFICANTLY to suit your own personal vision. means to directly copy something from someone or somewhere else.

Here's an Analogy That Might Help

For this analogy, let's say you borrow a sweater from a sibling without their permission – that would be . You make no changes to it, it is still the same sweater. It might look different on you, people might even think it’s yours, but it’s still your sibling’s sweater, unchanged. Now, suppose you take that same sweater, cut off the arms, and splash paint all over it. Now, it’s YOUR sweater – you’ve changed it from what was their sweater to something new you made. That’s . I don’t recommend doing this with a sibling’s sweater, but for working with a found source image, it’s GREAT! 🤩 🙌🏽

Well, How About a Visual Example?

Sure! This is the Mona Lisa by , arguably one of the most famous artworks in the world. It is instantly recognizable. It has been reproduced, written about, studied, and admired all around the world. It is one of the world's most valuable paintings, and nearly six million people a year visit her in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-JGqNS9JFA0Id.jpg?alt=media&token=301ea305-99bd-45fa-ae62-91be2340c0d1

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503 - 1517

This is “” by . While there is a minor physical change to the work, there is a huge conceptual impact, which forever changes the work for the viewer.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2FL.H.O.O-krqTdmvUdMzX.jpg?alt=media&token=932b6ad8-1f95-4b13-b26e-00cf3a90a179

L.H.O.O.Q, Marchel Duchamp, 1919

“But how?” you might ask “That’s just a tiny mustache and goatee!” You have to understand a few things. The title spells out “Elle a chaud au cul” which translates into “She has a hot a**”. He took the most famous painting in the world, and created a piece mocking how revered it was, and therefore, took on the idea that art is precious. He forever changed how one views the Mona Lisa because once you see his, you will think of it when viewing the original. He’s kind of a character - google his work. You will be glad you did. 😍 🤣 🤓 (art nerd alert)

Here’s another example:

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-L1QMUBVafiNM.jpg?alt=media&token=6c039a50-7b8c-4169-9b40-1869744711ea

On the left is a photo from Associated Press photographer, Mannie Garcia. On the right is the famous Shepard Fairey Obama portrait.

Fairey used the photo he got doing a google image search and created the image on the right. He thought that he changed it enough to count as . Since he used a credited image without permission, he was sued and had to pay a substantial fine. 😢 💲 Only use  (images within the available for use by everyone- they will be marked) as sources for your work. If you can, take your own original source images to work from.

How Can I Properly Use a Source Image?

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-WL4u6ZbhTkVz.jpg?alt=media&token=20c3b2b2-f91f-45a1-87be-bcaef496c2d0

This is a famous image of Tupac Shakur from Getty Images. They own it. If you want to use it for your work, it costs $175. I am properly crediting it for this example to show you that internet images ARE NOT FREE.

I’ve seen various unauthorized copies of this photo, hundreds of times over the years. If you want to do a drawing or a painting to practice your skills or because you love his music, great! 👍🏽Hang it on your wall or give it to a friend. However, it’s not appropriate to submit as an original work of art for the . 👎🏽

If you take the same photo and think, how can I change this image? For some reason, I thought about putting a Captain Crunch hat on his head to cover his bandana. Then I thought about how else I could change the images I was working with. I wanted the Captain to represent a person of color (POC), so I changed the skin tone and the text tone.

I added Tupac to the slogan because I thought of how many students I’ve had that would love to be “Tupac-a-tized” and instantly have his talent. Then, I added a filter to further change the image. I’m not saying it’s great art, but it is showing a significant change to source images I did not own. It also presents a different reality showing a prominent advertising spokesperson as a POC, which is a powerful message.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-0DHCmiANPdKE.jpg?alt=media&token=572807e8-fe83-47c5-b2b6-b6737ea31b67

Not only did I change the images, but I also showed a purposeful intent to change the messaging sent with it. That is the  (the idea or thought) behind this piece. For a stand-alone piece, there is probably not enough change in the image. However, if I was using this as part of a larger inquiry exploring “How can a person of color be included in product branding to reach a more diverse market?” or “Would using a person of color as a product spokesperson change perception?” it might work within the larger exploration.

So, when you want to use an image as a source that you didn’t photograph yourself, make sure you are altering the image into a new and DIFFERENT work. AP used to call this changing the “image in the service of a larger personal vision”. You might find this idea useful as we talk about Sustained Investigation (SI) and deal with inquiry in other guides.

Key Terms to Review (13)

AP portfolio

: The AP portfolio is a collection of artwork created by students taking Advanced Placement (AP) Art & Design courses. It showcases their skills, creativity, and understanding of various artistic concepts through different mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, or digital art.

Appropriation

: Appropriation is when an artist borrows elements from another artwork or culture to create something new. It's like taking different ingredients from various recipes to make a unique dish.

Getty Images

: Getty Images is a popular stock photo agency that provides a vast collection of high-quality images, illustrations, and videos for commercial use. It offers licenses for individuals and businesses to access and use these visual assets in their projects.

Ideation

: Ideation is the process of generating ideas or concepts for creative projects. It involves brainstorming, sketching, researching, and exploring various possibilities before settling on a final direction for an artwork or design.

L.H.O.O.Q

: L.H.O.O.Q is a famous artwork created by Marcel Duchamp in 1919. It consists of a postcard-sized reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa with added mustache and goatee drawn directly on the print.

Leonardo Da Vinci

: Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian artist, scientist, and polymath during the Renaissance period. He is known for his iconic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Marcel Duchamp

: Marcel Duchamp was a French-American artist associated with the Dada and Surrealist movements. He is known for challenging traditional notions of art through his unconventional artworks and ideas.

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)

: The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) is a famous portrait painting created by Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance period. It depicts a woman with an enigmatic smile.

Plagiarism

: Plagiarism is when someone uses someone else's work, ideas, or words without giving them proper credit. It's like copying your friend's homework and submitting it as your own.

Public domain

: Public domain refers to creative works that are not protected by copyright and are available for anyone to use, modify, or distribute freely. These works can include books, artworks, music, and other forms of intellectual property.

Royalty-free images

: Royalty-free images are digital or physical images that can be used multiple times without paying additional fees. Once purchased or obtained under a royalty-free license, they can be used for various purposes without any recurring costs.

Shepard Fairey Obama portrait

: The Shepard Fairey Obama portrait refers to a famous artwork created by artist Shepard Fairey, featuring an iconic image of Barack Obama. It gained widespread recognition during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Sustained Investigation (SI)

: Sustained Investigation refers to a focused and in-depth exploration of an artistic concept or theme over an extended period of time. It involves the development and refinement of ideas through experimentation, research, and reflection.

5.1 Plagiarism vs Appropriation

4 min readoctober 27, 2020

S

Sherry Ross

S

Sherry Ross

What’s the Difference Between Plagiarism and Appropriation?

This is a tricky concept for people to grasp. As a rule of thumb, a found (re)source image (one you found on the web instead of taking yourself) must be at least 65% changed to be considered an  rather than . Artistically, simply means to take a source image that is not your own and change it SIGNIFICANTLY to suit your own personal vision. means to directly copy something from someone or somewhere else.

Here's an Analogy That Might Help

For this analogy, let's say you borrow a sweater from a sibling without their permission – that would be . You make no changes to it, it is still the same sweater. It might look different on you, people might even think it’s yours, but it’s still your sibling’s sweater, unchanged. Now, suppose you take that same sweater, cut off the arms, and splash paint all over it. Now, it’s YOUR sweater – you’ve changed it from what was their sweater to something new you made. That’s . I don’t recommend doing this with a sibling’s sweater, but for working with a found source image, it’s GREAT! 🤩 🙌🏽

Well, How About a Visual Example?

Sure! This is the Mona Lisa by , arguably one of the most famous artworks in the world. It is instantly recognizable. It has been reproduced, written about, studied, and admired all around the world. It is one of the world's most valuable paintings, and nearly six million people a year visit her in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-JGqNS9JFA0Id.jpg?alt=media&token=301ea305-99bd-45fa-ae62-91be2340c0d1

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503 - 1517

This is “” by . While there is a minor physical change to the work, there is a huge conceptual impact, which forever changes the work for the viewer.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2FL.H.O.O-krqTdmvUdMzX.jpg?alt=media&token=932b6ad8-1f95-4b13-b26e-00cf3a90a179

L.H.O.O.Q, Marchel Duchamp, 1919

“But how?” you might ask “That’s just a tiny mustache and goatee!” You have to understand a few things. The title spells out “Elle a chaud au cul” which translates into “She has a hot a**”. He took the most famous painting in the world, and created a piece mocking how revered it was, and therefore, took on the idea that art is precious. He forever changed how one views the Mona Lisa because once you see his, you will think of it when viewing the original. He’s kind of a character - google his work. You will be glad you did. 😍 🤣 🤓 (art nerd alert)

Here’s another example:

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-L1QMUBVafiNM.jpg?alt=media&token=6c039a50-7b8c-4169-9b40-1869744711ea

On the left is a photo from Associated Press photographer, Mannie Garcia. On the right is the famous Shepard Fairey Obama portrait.

Fairey used the photo he got doing a google image search and created the image on the right. He thought that he changed it enough to count as . Since he used a credited image without permission, he was sued and had to pay a substantial fine. 😢 💲 Only use  (images within the available for use by everyone- they will be marked) as sources for your work. If you can, take your own original source images to work from.

How Can I Properly Use a Source Image?

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-WL4u6ZbhTkVz.jpg?alt=media&token=20c3b2b2-f91f-45a1-87be-bcaef496c2d0

This is a famous image of Tupac Shakur from Getty Images. They own it. If you want to use it for your work, it costs $175. I am properly crediting it for this example to show you that internet images ARE NOT FREE.

I’ve seen various unauthorized copies of this photo, hundreds of times over the years. If you want to do a drawing or a painting to practice your skills or because you love his music, great! 👍🏽Hang it on your wall or give it to a friend. However, it’s not appropriate to submit as an original work of art for the . 👎🏽

If you take the same photo and think, how can I change this image? For some reason, I thought about putting a Captain Crunch hat on his head to cover his bandana. Then I thought about how else I could change the images I was working with. I wanted the Captain to represent a person of color (POC), so I changed the skin tone and the text tone.

I added Tupac to the slogan because I thought of how many students I’ve had that would love to be “Tupac-a-tized” and instantly have his talent. Then, I added a filter to further change the image. I’m not saying it’s great art, but it is showing a significant change to source images I did not own. It also presents a different reality showing a prominent advertising spokesperson as a POC, which is a powerful message.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-0DHCmiANPdKE.jpg?alt=media&token=572807e8-fe83-47c5-b2b6-b6737ea31b67

Not only did I change the images, but I also showed a purposeful intent to change the messaging sent with it. That is the  (the idea or thought) behind this piece. For a stand-alone piece, there is probably not enough change in the image. However, if I was using this as part of a larger inquiry exploring “How can a person of color be included in product branding to reach a more diverse market?” or “Would using a person of color as a product spokesperson change perception?” it might work within the larger exploration.

So, when you want to use an image as a source that you didn’t photograph yourself, make sure you are altering the image into a new and DIFFERENT work. AP used to call this changing the “image in the service of a larger personal vision”. You might find this idea useful as we talk about Sustained Investigation (SI) and deal with inquiry in other guides.

Key Terms to Review (13)

AP portfolio

: The AP portfolio is a collection of artwork created by students taking Advanced Placement (AP) Art & Design courses. It showcases their skills, creativity, and understanding of various artistic concepts through different mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, or digital art.

Appropriation

: Appropriation is when an artist borrows elements from another artwork or culture to create something new. It's like taking different ingredients from various recipes to make a unique dish.

Getty Images

: Getty Images is a popular stock photo agency that provides a vast collection of high-quality images, illustrations, and videos for commercial use. It offers licenses for individuals and businesses to access and use these visual assets in their projects.

Ideation

: Ideation is the process of generating ideas or concepts for creative projects. It involves brainstorming, sketching, researching, and exploring various possibilities before settling on a final direction for an artwork or design.

L.H.O.O.Q

: L.H.O.O.Q is a famous artwork created by Marcel Duchamp in 1919. It consists of a postcard-sized reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa with added mustache and goatee drawn directly on the print.

Leonardo Da Vinci

: Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian artist, scientist, and polymath during the Renaissance period. He is known for his iconic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Marcel Duchamp

: Marcel Duchamp was a French-American artist associated with the Dada and Surrealist movements. He is known for challenging traditional notions of art through his unconventional artworks and ideas.

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)

: The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) is a famous portrait painting created by Leonardo da Vinci during the Renaissance period. It depicts a woman with an enigmatic smile.

Plagiarism

: Plagiarism is when someone uses someone else's work, ideas, or words without giving them proper credit. It's like copying your friend's homework and submitting it as your own.

Public domain

: Public domain refers to creative works that are not protected by copyright and are available for anyone to use, modify, or distribute freely. These works can include books, artworks, music, and other forms of intellectual property.

Royalty-free images

: Royalty-free images are digital or physical images that can be used multiple times without paying additional fees. Once purchased or obtained under a royalty-free license, they can be used for various purposes without any recurring costs.

Shepard Fairey Obama portrait

: The Shepard Fairey Obama portrait refers to a famous artwork created by artist Shepard Fairey, featuring an iconic image of Barack Obama. It gained widespread recognition during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Sustained Investigation (SI)

: Sustained Investigation refers to a focused and in-depth exploration of an artistic concept or theme over an extended period of time. It involves the development and refinement of ideas through experimentation, research, and reflection.


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.