Post #82301 by Bwana Tiki on Mon, Mar 22, 2004 8:47 PM

Wow…
Some of you guys know me by now and those who do may have figured out I have rather strong feelings about the fair and equitable treatment of artists. At the start of this thread I thought it was going to be about ethics in art, not about running down a particular person. I have to reserve judgment on Lars until such a time as I have seen first hand what all the fuss is about. But frankly Lars is not of much real concern to me right at this particular moment, except for the fact that he seems intent on making snide comments and insulting people for no reason other than the fact they disagree with him. Personally I think this is poor form, but hey that’s me I don’t expect Lars really cares what I think. I truly wish that we (TC’er) could discuss ethics in art in a neutral forum without going after perceived offenders. Now I know I bear some guilt in pointing fingers at people who I perceive as unfairly taking advantage of artists, and yes it is a heartfelt subject for me, BUT… if we could rise above this sort of finger pointing and turn the discussion toward the offences rather than particular offenders we all stand to benefit. People who are new to art have their hands full trying to develop hand skills and if you more seasoned guy will think back I’m certain many of you will remember that this was a big task. A great many artist, particularly in this genre, do not have the benefit of a formal arts education and this is a distinct disadvantage when it comes to areas of art not directly associated with the actual production of art, peripheral issues if you will. Without training it may take a long time to sort out the peripheral issues, I know it did for me. Rather than attack new artists why not try to take the high road? Lets not scare the bejesus outta guys like RodeoTiki, (even if he is Canadian, man he can’t help that) rather we can mentor newcomers. This does not mean a one on one relationship with everyone who wants to try their hand at Tiki art. But if TC creating Tiki forum had things like nonjudgmental threads on subjects like ethics they would have a point of reference. This is not to say we all agree or have the same standards, but if we could talk about stuff like this in a reasonable manner we may find that we could begin to form a consensus. I thought I was coming home to write on a different topic not realizing the thread had so degraded over the course of a single day. I missed the weekend as it was equinox and I had sacred things to attend to, (not the least of which was Idolatry, and a few more “deadly’s” just for good measure).

Lars may be a lost cause but at least he is out in the open, word will get back to Shag or people who have legitimate marketing rights and if the offence is a real one and affects the marketability or market share of true shag art then I imagine Lars will be the proud recipient of a cease and desist letter. In due course he may be required to make reparation to aggrieved parties and the works themselves may subject to seizure. But as I said I haven’t seen the offending work.

I’m glad to see this thread has not been shut down, on the other hand I would be glad to see it fade away, and start anew as a positive, if sometimes painful, topic.

None of us has gone our whole life without ethical missteps, I seem to have had more than my share, and I would be glad to share them with you guys, (not in this thread) and tell you how I resolved them. I’d be interested to hear if you think I came out of ‘em without damage to others or my integrity, I’m not always sure if I right my wrongs or not but hey, I try, and sometimes a little advice can help steer a guy in the right direction. Whether A guy goes down that path or not is another story, but I like to try even if it means I need to ask for a little help now and again. And if someone asks me, (and all to often when they don't) I’m glad to point them in the direction I believe is the best path, in the end we all make our own decisions.