Lessing

“This process of making meaning may be more blatant in the practice of certain artists than it is in the practice of others. Art- sits who work with found footage, for example, blatantly reflection the absorptive logic of the creative process. But I would argue that every work of art comes into being through a similar process, no matter how subtly. No artist works in a vacuum. Every artist reflects— consciously or not— on what has come before and what is happening parallel to his or her practice.”(8)

This reminds me of the Napster lawsuit in the late 90’s if I remember correctly. Lars Ulrich from the band Metallica sued Napster, which was some college lid that made the website, because of copyright laws and issues. I can it what Lessing is talking about with this. This poor mom who thought that it was just so cute that her 18month year child starting dancing to Prince, and then because she posted in in YouTube…boom! Slapped with a lawsuit. I mean then we are all guilty to some degree then, I have downloaded music is the past which might have lead to trouble in some way and movies as well. I see both sides.

These artists work to make a movie or an album and some kid does not get the proper permission to copy it, and then on the other hand who would have known at that time (aside from lawyers) that this was considered stealing. When home computers started to enter into the home, no one knew that an abundance of laws would also have to be developed and implemented to protect pretty much everything. Although it is different know because everything that we do involves computers and the use of the Internet, I think it is much harder for these lawyers to sue some mom for recording her kid.


The culture has clearly changed throughout the last 15 years, it has become in some ways out of control. Anyone can now put anything on the internet and it is not really policed because it is to vast to control. As Gill’s presents it to Lessing, “But why is this good?” I asked Gillis. “It’s good because it is, in essence, just free culture. Ideas impact data, manipulated and treated and passed along.


I think it’s just great on a creative level that everyone is so involved with the music that they like. . . . You don’t have to be a traditional musician. You get a lot of raw ideas and stuff from people outside of the box who haven’t taken guitar lessons their whole life. I just think it’s great for music.” (14) And I agree, it is great to some degree that we can be so creative with remixing that someone else worked really hard to create. But then I also feel at times that it is not fair to these artist as well because of the technology which has basically killed the record industry, books to some degree and art and now they are making less money, while we take what they have made and make our own. I think both sides have a valid argument but if you are allowed to copy code and remix movies and music and there is really no one that can do anything about. I say have at it!