MTA: The New Acronym "Menace To Artists"?
By now much of the arts community has heard about how East Village artist VH McKenzie was strong-armed by the MTA for selling oil paintings she made on discarded Metrocards. The MTA wants a piece of the action if McKenzie is going to sell the paintings (10 percent to be exact), claiming copyright infringement and lost revenue. Hmmm...
Under their proposed profit-sharing agreement, The MTA would have collected a measly $10 from this local artist who up until yesterday had only sold two of the Metrocard oil paintings in 3 months (now, thanks to the media attention they are sold out).
But what I want to know is, why is the MTA harassing this artist for cleaning up their trash?
If you ask me, the MTA has far bigger issues it could (and should) work on correcting.
Watch the video for Ms. McKenzie's story and then scroll down...
So now, lets ask ourselves...
1. If I purchase a Metrocard...isn't that card now mine to do what I want with? If not, then aren't I simply LEASING the Metrocard and must return it?
2. Is this copyright infringement or a simple case of appropriation, "the use of borrowed elements in the creation of a new work"? (See the case of Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup paintings)
3. If the MTA is concerned about lost revenue from cards, then what widely advertised program does the MTA have for salvaging and recycling the tons of discarded Metrocards that litter streets and landfills every year?
4. Ms. McKenzie says she found many of these cards littering the street. In essence, shouldn't Ms. McKenzie be paid for cleaning up the MTA's trash? (If we don't own the Metrocards, to be able do what we like with them, then it is still the property of the MTA and they should handle their mess. )
Artists Highlight MTA's Bigger Issue
As far as I am concerned, a much BIGGER issue the MTA needs to focus on is why these artists are able to get their hands on all of these extra Metrocards in the first place.
Last week artist Stephen Shaheen was in the news for designing a beautiful bench using many of the 5000 discarded Metrocards he was able to find from different sources. Another blog called singlefare displays Metrocard art made by artists.
Ms. McKenzie, Mr. Shaheen and other artists are able to make this kind of art for one simple reason. Metrocards are incredibly wasteful. On any given day, the average New Yorker can pick up (in under 10 minutes) 15-20 cards lying around on sidewalks, steps and subway platforms. Should Ms. McKenzie and others be applauded or harassed for turning this trash into treasure?
These artists are calling attention (albeit unintentionally) to an issue that is far more consequential than a few bucks in copyright revenue. The MTA needs to be more concerned with the environment and find a way to recycle, reuse, repurpose these cards. Artists are doing it. So should the MTA.
"Metrocard Bench" by Stephen Shaheen
In the past, the MTA has been otherwise very "artist friendly." Over several years, the MTA has supported the arts, in particular musicians with their Music Under New York program. Why not do something similar with visual artists? A couple of suggestions:
1. Team up with visual artists and turn Metrocards into Collectibles: VH McKenzie's work reminds me a lot of Artist Trading Cards. The MTA should partner with artists and create a "Metrocard art series". Maybe this way the cards will then have value, interest and appeal beyond their 5- ride shelf live. People may have incentive to hold onto them or collect them rather then tossing them onto the subway tracks. 2. Sponsor an "Subway Art" exhibit: Good publicity for the MTA could be supporting rather than prohibiting artists and celebrating the art they make from the MTA discards.
The MTA has much BIGGER FISH TO FRY and it's called "cleaning up Metrocard litter." Until the MTA can find a way to solve this problem...
leave the artists alone who are cleaning up your trash.
Just a thought.
