Copyright and Art – An Artistic Investigation Of The Increasingly Conflicting Relationship Between Copyright And Art

PhD Research Project at Duncan of Jordanstone Collge of Art and Design, Dundee University, Dundee, Scotland

Starting from experiences I have made with copyright within my own artistic practice, the focus of my PhD research investigates the role copyright plays today for creators. Is it (still) stimulating new work, or does copyright constrain artistic freedom and creativity? Why do “appropriative” art practices increasingly face legal boundaries?
Aesthetic theory and the history of copyright law provide the theoretical basis for the research. The analysis of the contemporary discourse on Intellectual Property (IP) and the driving forces behind will show its ideological biases. What function does art fulfil within this discourse on Intellectual Property?

The PhD will make a contribution to the discourse on IP from an artists’ perspective; it researches and brings together aristic expressions in the field and wants to foster an emancipatory and self-determined relationship between art/ist and copyright.