The Truth About Originality: Plagiarism, Copying, and Appropriation in Art

       ★ First public revelation — The bizarre tradition of mutual plagiarism in the art world for a century, yet never explicitly stated

       ★ Revealing the truth — There is no 100% originality in creation; replication and reassembly are the hard truths

Truth One: The most original art at least involves one or two clear, obvious acts of theft – simply copying and pasting.
Truth Two: How do artists view theft in creation? Picasso believed it was influence (not theft)!
Truth Three: Does plagiarism, copying, and appropriation only happen in art? Of course not, these phenomena are ubiquitous, from literature to contemporary online communities!

+ + + Super dark historical facts revealed, please do not consume if you are a loyal fan of originality myths + + +

● The most original writer in literary history: Shakespeare? Really??
It is well-known that many of the plots in his stories were stolen from already published sources. "Borrowing" was a core part of Shakespeare's creative process.

● How did the fame of the most renowned artwork, the "Mona Lisa," begin to spread?
It stemmed from the theft of the painting, and media news reports extensively reproduced the image across various platforms, spreading the "Mona Lisa" far and wide. This led to more people coming to see the blank wall where the painting was stolen than when it was originally hanging there.

● Who should we thank for today's copyright legislation?
It was the extremely narcissistic artist, Dürer, who feared his print works would be stolen everywhere. In 1506, he initiated the first copyright infringement lawsuit in human history.

● What if art history had no reproduction?
If the Renaissance, one of the most important movements in Western art history, had lacked printing technology and a group of printmakers who copied others' works, the scale and influence of the movement would have been significantly reduced.

● Regarding originality, even the Bible… has already said it
We always have an enduring myth about "originality," but the Bible in Ecclesiastes says: "There is nothing new under the sun," it's just that sometimes we like to say there is.

+ + + Run out of inspiration for creation? Read this down-to-earth guide + + +

● Not just art, replication and reassembly are already widespread across contemporary cultural fields!
This book starts from contemporary art, traces back hundreds of years of plagiarism in art, music, and literature, and then returns to today's digital age in communities, commercial advertising, film and television industries, and even fan culture.

● You say you don't know any artists who plagiarized?
Please treat this book as a catalog! From the cover to the last page, the dozens of works in the book's numerous color illustrations are legitimate and classic examples of plagiarism in the fields of art and culture. Try it bravely, you are not alone on this path.

● Is hard work and labor the only method for artistic creation?…What's wrong with you?
Marcel Duchamp pioneered the idea of "selection" as a primary artistic creative method. Note! The works artists create demonstrate their ability to choose, not their diligent physical effort or skill.

● Actually, it's not that times have changed; they have always been changing, but you have changed too slowly!
In this era of advanced and widespread computer technology: a work created by piecing together existing things may have art value comparable to a work created over ten years. Can you accept this?

【A sincere warning to originality enthusiasts】
To artists who worship originality, please stay away from this book!
Because this is a book that pulls the originality protected by copyright from its pedestal.
And it wants you to look at those creative methods you consider "unacceptable" in a positive light!
To us, artistic borrowing is simply giving new life to old materials through gentle adoption.
Ultimately, this book encourages everyone to actively "cut and paste," because that's how "culture" is generated!

【Heartfelt words from creative masters behind the halo】
☆ Lou Reed, frontman of "The Velvet Underground," said about his personality: "I don't have a personality of my own; I just pick up and use other people's personalities..."
☆ Andy Warhol once said in a TV interview, "I feel so empty today, I have a cold, I can't think of anything. Why don't you tell me a sentence, and I'll repeat it? That would be great."

【Original quotes from creators advocating plagiarism】
☆ Poet and playwright T.S. Eliot said: "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal."
☆ Conductor and composer Igor Stravinsky said: "Good composers don't imitate; they steal directly."
☆ Artist Pablo Picasso said: "Bad artists copy; good artists steal."

At this moment, creators, please passionately embrace this digital age of mass reproduction, and together, reproduce, reassemble, reuse, and reconnect to continuously create new worlds!