Inspiration VS. Plagiarism

So here I sit on my couch, clacking away at this keyboard again. This time, with my mouth hanging open, stunned. I was checking my Myspace a few minutes ago, minding my business, dredging through the several pages of friends requests I need to approve or deny and I come across a friends request from another tattooer who shall remain nameless as I'm not out to cause any problems for anyone. This particular artist had several pictures of his work displayed on his page, many of which I thought looked familiar, as if I had perhaps seen them in the magazine, when, low and behold, I stumble across a blatant rip-off of one of my own pieces. I must state here, for the record, that it is common knowledge in the industry that you DO NOT steal somebody's tattoo from a magazine. It's just bad fucking mojo and it's bound to bite you in the ass quicker than a spider monkey on a Gin and meth bender and if you do it, well you're lazier than a hat full of assholes.

We magazines are here to inspire and entertain and educate but we are not a substitute for good drawing skills or a good flash collection if you're an artist of the non-drawing variety (Oxymoron? Perhaps). Either way, the flash is paid for and it's meant to be used as a design source to be copied over and over but a tattoo that's on someone else's skin belongs to them and to the artist that designed it and made it permanent in the flesh. Not that I haven't done it... I wasn't taught the proper etiquette early in my apprenticeship and I lazily copied a handful of designs from magazines in the early days. I always re-drew them and refused to trace them but I copied them and pretty damn spot on. I soon learned that this was about as shitty as an outhouse at an Ex-Lax cookoff and I stopped it post haste. The lesson was learned and the lesson stuck and so should this lesson stick to you all.

Now I know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and all that jazz and I've actually been ripped off prior to this but I've never received a friend's request from the person who did the art theft and to top it all off, this particular tattoo was one I drew and designed especially for my youngest brother. Now my brother's tattoo has been stolen and corrupted and diluted and that just cuts me to the quick.

My first thought is to rock this dude with an e-mail assault and tell him he's a complete ass clown. My second thought is, that he may be a shitter just starting out and he doesn't know any better and maybe I should kindly let him know how bummed my brother and I are that he stole the image that way. My third thought is that I should point out his flaws in the execution. It's a blatantly obvious copy, but it's a pretty poorly executed blatantly obvious copy. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, I may take the high road and not do anything. The point of this whole ramble is to drive it home just one more time. Be inspired by what's in the magazine but don't steal from it. If you're an artist that's not creative enough to draw and create your own designs or find your own new references for an old idea then please, do us all a favor and quit tattooing. Just stop it. The tattoo industry is bursting forth with amazingly creative and talented people who will absolutely destroy you in art and in business. You have no hope. Stop while you're ahead. If you're a tattoo collector who sees someone else's tattoo and wants it and wants nothing more than to have that tattoo, in the exact same spot and in the exact same style and with the exact same colors... Shut the fuck up and let your artist guide you. If you trust this person to alter your body FOREVER then trust them to tell you your idea is horrible and the placement will suck. Don't try to force them to do a tattoo that they are going to feel dishonest and dishonorable executing. This doesn't mean you have to allow the artist to make you their great statement to the world and let them disregard your feelings either. You should get what you want, but get it in a way that makes sense aesthetically and ethically.

I'd like to think that these plagiaristic kind of artists will eventually fall away and stop tattooing and that only the strong tattooers shall survive and the cream will bubble it's way to the top but I'm reminded of a quote by the late great, Dr. Gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson... "The scum also rises".

Sincerely F'n' Peeved,
Rev. Dr. Chad Wells
Editorial Enforcer

Also check me out at:
http://www.wellstattoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/revwells