Sunday 12 December 2010

Stung by a Client?

Anyone out there had experience with selling commissioned work? I did a massive canvas recently for a client to close remit and with much client liaison. It took around 8 weeks part time to complete. She was delighted with the work both on completion and collection and payment. A week later - she tells me (as I drop by her shop noticing the work is not being displayed) that "would I be offended but..." she wanted to paint in "extra" flowers!!! In this instance it is likely I will simply disown the work and not actually paint in any extra flowers as an additional favour (paid or not). The composition is complete I have neither the time, nor inclination to "add" to it or alter it. She also took issue (belatedly) with two Maccaws pictured there owing to some kind of negative connection she'd discovered she'd had with them and wanted them out too (she thought, erroneously, that they were parrots!). I am considering asking for the deletion of my name, but I want the picture photographed (if she agrees to this, or at least sticks to her promise that I can photograph it as sold first) prior to any changes she daubs on. Any thoughts on copyright, professional conduct etc. The picture is NOT representative of any work I would consider being typical of mine - so despite the insult and the tremendous effort that went in - I guess I can let it go. Cheers all!

4 comments:

  1. Here's what i've been working on for my Final Major Project so far.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_adams/5283915052/

    Merry Christmas all you Printmakers :Dx

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  2. Well fortunately, just yesterday, the client backed down from altering, adding or deleting any of my original work. I was poised to read her the riot act or rather, the 1956 Copy Right Act (currently in force) and as reformed by the House of Lords on Oct 20th 1987 which basically says (in respect of this case anyway) all commissioned (and uncommissioned) original visual artwork will be the artists property and they will be FIRST copyright holders. We are all further protected by the "Berne Convention" and the obligations agreed with the U.K. whereby artists can be protected against abuses of their works and their reputations - this includes denial of ownership (ie taking my name off, adding another etc.), distortion of the image and false attribution of authorship. These are moral rights and part of European Law called "droit moral" (moral right). So phew, and what a lesson all that was! We could do with a copyrights and selling our work seminar. Anyone else agree?

    Am re-routing to check your final project. Thanks for adding your thoughts :-)

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  3. Commissions = headaches. End of. xx

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