Thursday 9/25 Entry

Ownership: That crazy copyright project...

As everyone probably knows/has been told several times by now, I worked last semester on a project that was about copyright and ownership. The idea of ownership has always been confusing, especially in the art world (Thanks Sherri Levine!).

"The instinct of ownership is fundamental in man's nature". William James said this and I completely agree, however, I don't think it is achievable in this society and culture. What does one person own? Me, I supposedly "own" my car, by my mother's definition. And yet, she threatens to take it back all the time if she finds out I was drove out of Richmond late at night by myself (I'm on her insurance). I own all of my cameras (except one, which has my mother's initials carved into the bottom of it). Although, if my dad took me to court, he'd when most of them, since he has the receipts and they were charged to his credit card. And the others could easily be taken by the IRS or the bank if I owed back taxes or defaulted on a loan. And then there's my last possessions, my mind and body. Well, I can "do whatever I want" with them, except I can't kill myself (don't want to, trust me). If some politicians had their ways, I couldn't get an abortion (and no, I don't actually want to start that side conversation). Oh and if I ended up in jail, innocent or not, the warden would have the right to drug me up with whatever psychotropics he had in stock. So what do any of us own? Our art? Yea, because its REALLY difficult to copy someone's art and get away with it. That's just a joke.

I know that was a mini-rant, but what I'm asking is: Does ownership even exist? Who says you get what? The government? Bush? Future President #44? You? Your mother? Does anyone even know?