Creativity

[CorporateGoth]

I can see that this place is haunted by artists of all kinds, so this question should reach a fairly wide range of people. It had been said that there is nothing new under the sun, and as artists, everyone has influences. At what point does art go from being influenced by something to being a cheap rip off? Do you think there is a tangible "line", or is it just something you know when you see/hear it?

[Nightingale]

I think that there is a tangible line somewhere out there, but it changes from one art form to another and from one artist's / critic's interpretation to another. I feel that being influenced by a wide variety of sources is the best way to go, rather than being labeled a cover artist from day one or someone following in the tracks of a specific someone else.

[CPRB]

I think there is a line and society has walked over it well and good. To be honest a movie that really explains the world is..okay are you ready? THE INCREDIBLES. Yeah it is a cartoon but the message it has about individuality and creativity. I think music and art are at times stale but thats when you really have to imerse yourself in it and you will find something cool.

[Morning Glory]

I thought that movie was why socialism IE: the idea that all people should be equal and that people shouldn't be considered better than other's based simply on their standing in society, is bad, and that traditional American family IE: straight, conservative, white, aka. republican, values are good and that it's ok to teach kids to use violence to solve their problems, oh yeah, and black people are a humurous caricature.

[One Eyed Cat]

I can see that this place is haunted by artists of all kinds, so this question should reach a fairly wide range of people. It had been said that there is nothing new under the sun, and as artists, everyone has influences. At what point does art go from being influenced by something to being a cheap rip off? Do you think there is a tangible "line", or is it just something you know when you see/hear it?

You have to look at what stage the artist is in his/her development. Those that influence you had influences of their own. In this day and age, it is not uncommon for an artist who is still a combination of influences to suddenly "make it". The true rip off artists are those that simply contrive the style of another. The Beatles started as a 3 chord band heavily influenced by people such as Chuck Berry. Clearly, they progressed and created a seminal style of their own. Other entertainers tend to simply mimic a style that is in vogue. I honestly believe time sorts out the artists from the entertainers, albeit we seem to have a plethora of the latter in pop culture at any given point in time. I think it's about the total output of the artist rather than a line.

OEC

[Morning Glory]

"Call no man happy, until he is dead."
-Herodotus

[ForrestBlack]

I honestly think people can tell when something is more of a rip off than something influenced, so long as they are given the opportunity to be exposed to the original. The problem is that a lot of ripoffs know they are derivative and push their revisionist history a little too hard in order to cover for their theft. That can be hard to battle.

[Amelia G]

I think to create art, you must both express yourself and communicate. If you are expressing someone else's vision, feelings, heart, then you are a robber and not really an artist. If you are unable to communicate at all, then you are just masturbating and also not really an artist. My two cents anyway.

[OliX]

I work with electronic music and there this questions don't come along.
Visual arts is another thing.

[MistressJennifer]

It's really hard to tell because all artists tend to be influenced by someone or something, so is that creativity or influence or just ripping something off?

That is the teririfying thing about creating things. Some of it is just total crap, and then once in a while, god smiles upon it, and it is just magic... Most of the stuff I have written is terrible, but once in a while, I will be really proud of a song or even a photo.

But I live for the magic...