Film posters from collection of Mike Kaplan acquired by LACMA

Recent news of an important collection of film posters acquired by LACMA..

Here's the story from the collector himself.. Mike Kaplan...

I’ve long been dedicated to vintage movie posters being recognized as a genuine art form and not just a sidebar of popular culture. The foundation of my collection is based on exceptional design,
whether the best image for a film was created in America or abroad, whether the film is a classic or unknown. Over the past 35 years, I often realized that the choices made were to one day have them eventually acknowledged as the art they are by a major museum, which would expose them to a wide audience and validate my passion.

That dream has now been realized with the acquisition by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, one of the world’s great museums, of 880 posters from the collection. The catalyst for this unprecedented
acquisition was Ralph DeLuca, who initiated and is co-chair of LACMA’s Graphic Design Initiative. Ralph has become a prominent art dealer but I’m convinced his first love is the movie poster and his belief in their
artistic and cultural importance made this significant development happen.

The announcement was confirmed by LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg director Michael Govan at LACMA’s annual Collectors Committee gala, where 12 unique examples of movie poster art were displayed to an overwhelming response in a presentation by Prints and Drawings Curator Britt Salveson. Though I had lived with many of these 12 pieces for years, I was truly in awe seeing them together and arranged with such care and attention.

Previous exhibits from the collection have been held at a variety of venues, from Lincoln Center to the TCM Classic Film Festval, from Jacob’s Pillow to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The first of an intended series of books, GOTTA DANCE: The Art of the Dance Movie Poster, was published in 2014.

Below is the announcement of the acquisition by LACMA and visuals of the installation:

(L-R: ORPHANS OF THE STORM: RED HEADED WOMAN; THE BIG IDEA (3 Stooges by Hirschfeld), UNDERWORLD (Germany); TRADER HORN; CASABLANCA (France) ; WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD?; BORDERTOWN; DAWN PATROL; MOON OVER MIAMI; STAGECOACH; LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST).

Here is link for the LACMA press release...
http://www.lacma.org/sites/default/files/2016-Collectors-Committee-Press-Release-4.17.16.pdf

More coverage of the collection and acquisition...
https://unframed.lacma.org/2016/04/26/new-acquisition-mike-kaplan-poster-collection
article on Kaplan and book of dance posters from his collection...
https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/movie-poster-of-the-week-youll-never-get-rich-and-the-art-of-the-dance-movie-poster

For many years... attending paper collectibles shows in the LA area... I also enjoyed collecting film posters. They are an art form.... time capsule.. and a reminder of just how much story can be conveyed in the right image/design.

These two poster images below not part of this acquisition..  just an aside...
One of my all-time favorite film posters is the release poster for the 1979 film "The Black Stallion"...

Also have always adored this concept art by Bob Peak for the same film...

imitation is fraud, not flattery...

A frequent topic among established artists exhibiting at conventions is the casual attitude some students and young artists have about copying the work of others.

What is the real value of art?? (graphic below from The ABC's of art by M.C. Gillis)

Art does not exist in a vacuum. We all create from what we have learned from and been inspired by. But this copied-art problem goes beyond guiding light of inspiration into the shadows of imitation.. duplication... theft.. and fraud.

There have been instances where young artists have gone even beyond the grey area of fan art and sold prints where they have just traced over published work of licensed characters to create "their" art.

Sometimes copied-art is just ignorance.... and an education opportunity. Sometimes it's just arrogance... because no one stops them.

Education is the key. The more the community of artists and fans understand together what's at stake with artists rights.. the stronger the protections for intellectual property.

Enforcing the rules isn't just about cease and desist orders from copyright holders .... or exhibitor guidelines from convention organizers.

The buck really stops with the financial impact. On all of us. Cheap, easy art -- erodes.

How to fight this??? Make the art fan culture smarter, and more compassionate, about artist rights. (graphic below from Dreamtime.com)

More on copyright .. along with case studies of unauthorized use of images posted online.. on this frequently updated post here on the blog: http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/copyright-info-for-artists_15.html

The up and coming artists are the future of the community ... both the fans they bring in and the social and commercial contracts they are building with their audience.

Think about what happens if the next waves of artists are used to imitating instead of creating... and the next wave of art customers continue to purchase and support imitated art.

Art has value because is a unique expression of an artist's vision. It's that spark of vision that connects us to art that we love.

If all we come to value about art is how cheaply we can get it and how easily we can imitate it -- then we will put real artist out of business. We can't afford to let that happen.

Few artists can make their living entirely from their art. There's nothing wrong with that. So called "day jobs" pay the bills.. and contribute to their community. But what sustains artists is their art. For these small business artists --- the ones who are exhibiting at conventions and selling their art online -- imitation of their art isn't flattery... it's a little death of the soul.

Online art theft is rampant. It undermines artist rights and has a ripple effect that impacts the economy:
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/combat-art-theft-case-studies-and.html
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-battle-to-protect-ip-episode-on.html

Nikki Cohen of Mayfaire Moon custom corsets and costumes 

beautifully expresses the pain and struggle of artists when they are imitated in this post "How to Anger an Artist in 5 Seconds"
from her Patreon page....
https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-anger-in-5392116

Liana Hee art book -- pre-order post -- UPDATED 8.6.16

UPDATE -- 8.6.16 -- Liana's book now on sale on SNB website. Here's the link:
http://stuartngbooks.com/mini-mermies-signed.html

When this post was written in May 2016, the book was only available as pre-order on Etsy store. Links in the original post below may no longer be active.

Signed copies now in stock at Stuart Ng Books. 
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Lovely, talented, extraordinary Liana Hee is a painter, designer, dancer and photographer http://lianahee.tumblr.com/
Liana is a frequent highlight here on the blog. She will debut her long-awaited art book "Mini Mermies" in July at Comic Con 2016.

Liana's pictured below at her table at CTNX..

(she's holding plush art Martin "Marty" Mouse ... created by other artist pals of the blog Steph Laberis and Sarah Hunt   http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2014/11/behind-scenes-with-martin-marty-mouse.html  )

Liana's been the showcased artist at Disneyland's Wonderland Gallery. A designer on the Nickelodeon animation studios show "Shimmer and Shine," she also illustrated the Little Golden Book "Backyard Ballet" based on the series characters...

Liana also shines in her personal work... often featuring dancers or mermaids. Photo below is her art print "Pearly Peridot" from her Etsy shop:https://www.etsy.com/listing/291322401/pearly-peridot-fine-art-mini-print?ref=shop_home_active_2

Don't miss out on Liana's "Mini Mermies" book! The print run is limited and her fan base continues to grow...
Place a pre-order now on her Etsy store.. and you'll get this hardcover book with 132 pages...

Inside the book there's over 100 paintings and works in progress....

PLUS .. . pre-orders include this exclusive print (pictured below)!!

Pre-orders accepted via her Etsy page --- now through July 8th.

Each pre-order also includes a chance at a Liana Hee original painting.

Details on her Esty page. Here's the link. https://www.etsy.com/listing/278590338/mini-mermies-book-pre-order?ref=shop_home_active_1

Animators profiled.. ones to watch, and on their journeys

Up and coming animators are making their efforts count .. and making names for themselves and their art... across many media platforms.

Fun to see these spotlights intersect this week...

On Variety.com.... a gallery of "10 animators to watch in 2016"
http://variety.com/gallery/10-animators-to-watch-2016/
This article by Variety staff combines character sketches (both drawn and written) for:
Frank Abney; Adrian Molina; Alyce Tzue; Carl Faruolo; Fletcher Moules; Ian Jones-Quartey; Kevin Parry; Makoto Shinkai; Nina Gantz; Seth Boyden

One artist from this gallery... Alyce Tzue ....
http://variety.com/gallery/10-animators-to-watch-2016/#!3/alyce-tzue-animated-film-combines-all-the-arts/

... was also recently interviewed on the podcast "The Animated Journey"
http://www.theanimatedjourney.com/2016/03/22/episode-005-interview-with-alyce-tzue-2015-student-academy-award-winner/

This podcast by Angela Entzminger features interviews with animation professionals. These lively conversations cover important topics for students and fans .. touching on the animator's background.. early inspirations... career entry and progression ... as well as tips from the trenches. I especially appreciate how often these interviews explore animation (or any career) as part of a life journey, but not the only path.

And a bonus bit of good news.... This 5.2.16 LA Times article about Once Upon a Time --  an indie bookstore success story
http://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-me-0422-once-upon-a-time-20160422-story.html

Quotes from the story...

(store owner Maureen) Palacios said her store provides important moments that connect children with their favorite authors. She had her own such moment in eighth grade, when Ray Bradbury visited her school."I think that's important to get kids to remember and to have a memorable experience," Palacios said, "because it happened to me.".....

Once Upon a Time still has its place in the community, Palacios said. It employs high school students, gives them their first jobs. Famous authors leave their autographs in the storage room.

The experience, according to Palacios, is personalized and personal.

"We like to find the right book for you at the right time," she said — and it's a big part of what sets Once Upon a Time apart from the Amazons of the world.

"Amazon is a data collector. They don't care about a story. I sell stories. I sell dreams. They sell data," Palacios said. "I have the better lot in life."

Jackalope Art Fair -- Pasadena 2016

Attended Sunday 5/1 of the two-day Jackalope Art and Craft Fair 2016...  held at bucolic Central Park in downtown Pasadena, CA. http://www.jackalopeartfair.com/pasadena

Jackalope Art Fairs are held in Pasadena CA, Denver CO and Phoenix AZ.
The Pasadena show had over 200 vendors.

Always fun to see some artists I know trying out a new venue...

Here are Samantha George (l) https://www.etsy.com/shop/samanthacgeorge
and Melanie Hopper (r) http://www.mellyhopper.com/

Samantha's mini-cards are perfect for gift tags ...  or lunch box notes of appreciation...

Attn artists: She also had great success with an art item she created and tried out at this show... Gemstone prints. These also had 3-D embellishments. So smart to try out something new and/or tailored to a venue or event. Little experiments like this can open your art to a new audience... She'll be making more to add to her Etsy store.. (photo below courtesy of Samantha C George)

As a long-time collector (who ran out of shelf and wall space even longer ago)... I'm an advocate for smaller works of art. Easy to give and share.. and enjoy on full shelves of other wonders.. Plus the price points open up a larger market...

Melanie had small originals like these...

Also enjoying the crowd and the sunny day in the park... 

artist Jillian Altmeyer http://www.squidbrains.net/

Jillian is shown above holding the prototype plush for her rampagingly successful Kickstarter campaign: Banjo and Luna the Unicorgi...https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/squidbrains/banjo-and-luna-the-unicorgi-plush-by-squidbrains

Her Kickstarter launched in April.. was soon selected as a Kickstarter staff "Projects We Love" pick! .. and wraps up soon (May 9th).

Jillian was busy at her table...

She sells on Esty too... zipper bags... charms.. prints (her unicorgi design is based on her own real-life Corgi)

and this series of limited edition enamel pins... days of the week (and a bonus unicorgi)

This art fair was so pet friendly.. there was even a booth for the local humane society...

Enjoyed a nice chat with artist David at his Cheltenham Road booth... regret I didn't get a photo of his set up.. but always a delight to see the wonderful things he does with vintage designs.. and I snagged these great Jane Austen wine charms.. https://www.etsy.com/shop/CheltenhamRoad.

Why buy wine charms when I don't drink??? Because they would also be so cool... as key chain fobs... coffee mug charms... even jewelry...

A frequent bonus for exploring new shows...  discovering new artists along the way...
This table for artist Genevieve Santos

had such a crowd around it nearly all morning... worth the wait to see all the fun items..

 A Sketchbook! Cards! Stickers! Canvas bookmarks (with a Narwal)

In a brilliant move.. the back of her card not only includes her contact info.. but also the name and product number of the card! Good idea!!!

Her "Crush Confession" series of little cards explores the drama of young love. This one below is called "phone call" and is product # GCL-023.

 Buttons.. and magnets..

 Prints....

Genevieve exhibited at WonderCon.. but somehow I missed her. Lucky to find her at this venue..

I've seen her art online.... Here's link for her website: http://www.genevievesantos.com/

This outdoor art fair was very kid  friendly.. including art stations.. and even hula hoops to try...

Another find for me was photographer Julie Horton..

Julie is known for her images of one of my favorite subjects: Deploy the HUMMINGBIRDS....http://www.shop.juliehortonphotography.com/main.sc

I picked up several card sets... what gems!

So that's my adventure at Jackalope Art Fair. Admission is free. Parking available in a structure about 2 blocks away.... free 1st 90 mins, then a time-based charge. Lots of food trucks... and some food vendors as well. A lovely day in the park with art...(photo below from Jackalope art fair website)

Fan Work 'Axanar' film -- Copyright Crossroads, or Cross-hairs? -- updated 1.20.17

Article by Peter Decherney.."In Copyright Lawsuit, Star Trek Fan Work Gets Its 'Easy Rider' Moment... on website Forbes.com ......

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdecherney/2016/05/02/in-copyright-lawsuit-star-trek-fan-work-gets-its-easy-rider-moment

Gary Graham, once again playing Ambassador Soval (from Star Trek: Enterprise) 

and Kim Fitzgerald playing Vulcan Minister T’Lera (Courtesy of Axanar Productions)

This article has a summary of the long relationship between Star Trek and fan work.. as well as a look at the particulars of this case.... here's excerpt from the end of the article...

".....copyright holders are generally silent about and often inconsistent in their YouTube policies, leaving fans with a guessing game.

If Axanar proves to be Hollywood’s latest Easy Rider moment, it remains to be seen which company will successfully find a structure that includes fan work in the ecosystem of Hollywood franchises. Star Trek—and Hollywood franchises more generally—have passively benefited from fan work in the past. Hopefully, CBS and Paramount will lead the way and embrace methods of actively incorporating fan labor and creativity."

UPDATE 7.2.16
Podcast "Break the Business" episode discusses recently released "Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines" in interview w/ Axanar director...
http://www.breakthebusiness.com/entertainment-law/btb-podcast-episode-42-stairway-to-heaven-ruling-bryan-frates-interview-star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/

UPDATE 7.11.16
Star Trek fan series "Renegades" alters its trajectory in face of "fan film" rules...
https://kryptonradio.com/2016/07/11/renegades-goes-warp-without-star-trek/

UPDATE 1.5.17
"Judge Throws Out Axanars Defense...." article by Micheal Hinman on website GeekNation.com.
Summary of order issued by Judge R. Gary Klausner in the case.. which now moves to settlement ... or trial. Here are a few highlights from the article..

Essentially, Klausner denied both sides their motions for summary judgment, meaning that unless there’s a settlement in the next few weeks, the Axanar case goes in front of a jury at the end of the month. However, in doing so, the judge gutted just about anything Axanar’s attorneys could use to defend the fan-film, leaving just the substantial similarity decision to the jury.......

......The final decision on whether Axanar is indeed substantially similar to Star Trek will now be left to a jury, Klausner said. If the jury does not find substantial similarity, then Axanar did not infringe, and everything else will be moot. However, if the jury finds in favor of CBS and Paramount, it’s game over, because Axanar has no other defenses it can use … the case would then move to damages.

Just remember, it isn't over till it's over..  Read the full article here:
http://geeknation.com/judge-throws-out-axanars-defense-in-star-trek-copyright-case/

UPDATE 1.20.17
Settlement announced in Axanar case.... illustration below by Laemeur.

Hollywood Reporter Story

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/cbs-paramount-settle-lawsuit-star-trek-fan-film-966433
Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/star-trek-settles-lawsuit-against-crowdfunded-film-w462249
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More on copyright and fan art issues in my blog post from April 2016
http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2016/04/fan-art-playground-or-minefield.html

Also link here for frequently updated blog post "Copyright Info for artists" (below image from Dreamtime.com)

 with case studies on unauthorized use of images on the internet
... http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/copyright-info-for-artists_15.html