How to use Instagram like an appropriation artist

Is it legal to take someone else’s photograph, post it on Instagram, print out the Instagram post, and sell it as art? This is the question that appropriation art pioneer Richard Prince has been fighting in court for years. In 2014, Prince premiered New Portraits, an art series composed of blown-up, printed-out Instagram screenshots. One contained a shot of a Rastafarian lighting a joint, posted by a user called “Rastajay92.” Another featured a portrait of Sonic Youth bassist, guitarist, and vocalist Kim Gordon, uploaded on Prince’s own account. Neither photographer had gotten paid or credited, and both of them sued. These aren’t Prince’s first lawsuits; he won a surprising 2013 victory against photographer Patrick Cariou, whose pictures... Continue reading…