Category: Art & Pottery

Art and copyright law

by Jo Harris

It is very important to understand the basic concept of copyright before discussing the issue further. In the United States, the copyright law protects the original creation of art and culture by rewarding the creator a set of rights that safeguards the piece of work from being copied partially or completely.

Many artists wonder if formal registration of their artwork is always necessary to save their work from copyright infringement. Well, it depends on the kind of art one produces.

All kinds of artwork are not equally vulnerable and do not need copyright protection. However, for artists, their creation is extremely important to them and no one wants to part with their share of hard work and appreciation without proper permission. Whether it is a painting, graphic expression, sculpture, movie, a piece of literature, sound recording; a misrepresentation of an original piece of work is never desirable.

Is it necessary to register every work of art?

First of all, it is important to understand what kind of art is highly at risk and need copyright protection. Asking these questions may give you the right answer.

• Can your art be a source of income for infringers?
• Does your art have a commercial appeal?
• Is it easy to replicate on commercial products?
• Is your art unique, extremely popular or attractive?

If the answer for any of these questions is affirmative, it may be a good idea to through a formal copyrighting process.

What are the legal ways of protecting a work of art from copyright infringement?

Most importantly, to be protected by copyright, a work of art cannot be just a concept. It has to be expressed on a tangible medium of expression like on paper, canvas, print or even digitally. Different nations follow their own copyright rules. However, when in the U.S one needs to register the artwork with the U.S. Copyright Office.

The harsh reality in today’s world is that almost everyone can access your artwork the moment it is on the internet. Chances of it being copied and someone earning profits with your ideas are also high. There are some ways in which you can prevent misuse and protect your work to a great extent.

• Publish your art with a copyright symbol on the internet
• Keep images small and low-resolution while posting on websites
• Use a watermark across the image
• Convert images to flash to make them difficult to simply copy and paste
• When posting images on social media platforms read terms and conditions carefully

These below videos by lawyers and artists are a great help for students looking for law essay help material as well as artists trying to protect their artwork.

How can I save myself from copyright infringements?

No one likes to get into copyright infringement and face legal proceedings. Often people unintentionally land up in trouble copyright infringement lawsuits. To steer clear of copyright violations follow some simple basics.
• Use your own photographs and other source materials
• Use images from the public domain
• understand the laws of the land that are applicable to you
• Take permission, pay fees if required when using material from copyright protected sources

These videos are a good way to learn how to protect your digital artwork

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oww9tsP30eA

Pottery as Art Therapy

by Jo Harris

Art can also be very therapeutic. Far from medicinal treatments, art therapy relies on artistic creativity to heal, especially in the field of mental illnesses. In the modern world, you may find general tools to cope with stresses and emotional distress. There are several relaxation techniques including massage, yoga, and physical exercise. However, many mental disorders can be successfully treated with the help of different art therapy and pottery as art is one of them. The process combines the gentle method of using the art form as therapy. The participants do not need to have professional training as an artist. Instead, they just need to let their creativity flow and give free rein to their imagination.

From psychology to art, from art to psychology: art can be a great healer

Since the end of the 19th century, psychotherapists and psychiatrists have been studying creativity and artistic expression in their relation to mental health. For example, artistic creation plays a major role in psychic health according to Freud. He is passionate about art as “inaccessible essence”, while in the 1940s, artists such as Dubuffet and André Breton explore the expression of the unconscious in artistic production. Winnicott looks at creativity itself as an attitude towards the outside world.
Psychiatric hospitals, specialized institutions, medical-social centres… the art as healer plays an important role in establishing care.

What is pottery as art therapy?

It is a form of psychotherapy where the art of making pottery is used as a tool for healing. Here the therapeutic aim is given more importance than the artistic aim.
The primary goal is not to create a work of art, but to utilize the pottery art as a mean of expressing the inner self of the patient. It is therefore important to let the imagination of the patient flow without focusing on the artistic result. The pottery work actually brings out the inner self of the patient and offers a chance to understand the emotional turmoil or state of mind. The emotions, thoughts, intuition, and imagination of the patient can be visualized through the result of pottery formation.
Objectives of pottery as art therapy to heal patient with psychological issues

The goal of pottery art therapy is to achieve healing and improve the physical, emotional, and spiritual status of individuals. This form of therapy makes it possible for the patient to express his/her inner thought and pain which he/she is unable to express through words. It is indeed having a number of therapeutic effects such as:

• providing confidence
• well-being
• creative awakening
• a sense of freedom
• managing emotions
• stress management
• reduction of anxiety

Application of pottery as art therapy in different individuals

Pottery as art therapy is ideally used in many therapeutic areas such as:
• working with children
• working with the elderly
• working with patients with severe diseases (eg cancer)
• working in psychiatric hospitals
• working with regular offenders

A typical session of pottery art therapy

A typical session of pottery as art therapy usually lasts for around one to one and a half hours. The therapist accompanies the patient in his creative pottery work without making interference. It is not an analysis but a real process of allowing the patient to evolve at his own pace over the various sessions and different artistic productions of pottery. Often the therapists arrange a group session of longer duration. The individual session is preferred for more critical cases.