Support Art not Con-Artists!

I have always been one of those people who believes that knowledge and education can free us and expand our minds outside of the box of our limited perceptions. I do believe in sharing and that knowledge is also the gateway to empathy.  To know, is hopefully to be able to see another perspective, another culture, another viewpoint and hopefully it can bring us all into the greater well of human compassion for our condition, and the condition of the planet and Her species.   As such, I have been against restrictions of information across the internet, I believe in transparency in all levels of government and corporate business and support actions against SOPA’s far reaching and restrictive regulations.  Honestly, I can’t imagine a world without google or wikipedia and I tend to be an information junkie.

I also like to share my artwork with people and my poetry.  I enjoy it when someone likes one of my paintings enough that they want to post it on their website.  I expect to be credited for the artwork.  I also expect that they will provide a link back to my site.  That to me, is common courtesy at the very least and moreso, is respect for my personal copyright of my artwork and poetry.

However, for myself, I draw the line at piracy and outright plagerism!

Recently a friend notified me that Adam McLean is no longer producing his limited edition decks.  Why?  Because some ignorant twits out there apparently thought it would be a good idea to reproduce his Limited Edition Collector Decks in high resolution files and put them up on the web for free.

Here is what Adam had to announce on his website:

“Due to a number of people scanning my tarot decks at high resolution and distributing these on the internet I have had to cease producing any new tarots. It is impossible for me to invest my capital, time and enthusiasm in publishing tarot decks if the sales are decimated by people making printable copies available on the internet, on file sharing sites and torrent files. These parasites and criminals are directly responsible for my giving up publishing tarots. They are disgraceful people who don’t care about the consequences of their actions. Well, they are responsible for bringing my tarot publishing project to a close, but I don’t expect them to care one jot.“

So these ignorant twits are responsible for putting a self-employed author, producer and artist out of business.  Not only that, they have affected the tarot artists who sought to sell their work through Adam McLean.  They have also affected the collectors of the decks, some of whom have purchased them not only for their beauty but, as an investment.

So, what is an artist to do?

I could stop sharing images from the deck.  But what is an artist who doesn’t share their work?  That just doesn’t fit.  😦  Though, I’m angry enough that I just might not ever post tarot images up on this blog that haven’t already been posted elsewhere!

And that’s sad.  Why?  Because I feel that some of my best artwork from the deck has never been seen and that’s a crime.

I am so upset.

If people stopped supporting piracy, then the pirates would be out of business and not the artists and producers who have spent hours and hours of labour and love into their work.

Just stop downloading it.  Stop supporting it.  Stop and think who you effect when you do it.

Support artists not con-artists.