To an Artist, is this really bad?

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Question:

OK - so I am not an artist, but I have (or had) a good friend who is!. So, I buy a painting from him, then I buy two and then three!. In fact, I was pretty much the only one who did!. Well, I don't really want them so I decided to take them to a gallery and try to sell them!. No luck!. So being a salesman/businessman, I opened a booth at the gallery, and passed them off as my own!. Gave my own story as to my brilliant inspiration and inner pain, what each line represented, blah blah, blah!.!.!.

Now I made a killing!. And I took a vast majority of that money and gave it to my friend thinking that he would be pumped!. With this cash, he could buy new paint, watercolors, brushes, crayons, canvases, etc!.!.!.

Well, instead of a thank you, I got a "how could you!?" yelling, waterworks, the whole thing!. I figured he would be pumped that I got more money for his art than he ever could!. What did I do wrong!? Is this an "artist" thing!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It's theft and fraud!. Passing someone else's work of as your own is against the law - as I am sure you really know!.
If you had acted as an agent and used your better business acumen to the benefit of you both all fair and good but what you did was deception!. Go back and apologise profusely to the person (if he still wants to talk to you and hasn't decided to prosecute!.)
You may be able to rescue this situation by being absolutely honest but it won't be easy!. Bear in mind you also knowingly sold those paintings under false pretences and the buyers could prosecute you too!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes you deceived everyone!. If you had established you were representing the artist with the artist’s approval and told the buyers you were the artist’s agent, then things would have turned out much better!.

Go back to the artist and beg for forgivance and seek to be the artist’s agent!. It sounds as if this is a golden opportunity for both of you!.

Good luck!
Jeff (weseye) Wesley
Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was low of you to do that, yes!. You decieved him and pretty much insulted his work!. I am an artist and can see why he'd be mad at YOU, as a person!. I'm sure he isn't mad that his work made money, he is mad at YOU for insulting his work, rejecting his work, not having respect or regard for his work!. "I don't really want them" is mean!.

Lying to people is mean!. Now those people that have the work have a total lie at their homes!. Too bad they don't know the Real Artist!.

A big bag of lies for sale! Big bag of lies for sale!

You know it was rude!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To be honest that's pretty horrible,
The reason why he might have been so upset is that those paintings are a reflection of his hard work and you've taken credit for them!.
I would have the exact same reaction if anyone did that to me, let alone a friend, i would be angry as well!.
if someone came up to me and said ''i'l give you either ￡500 for that painting if you let me tell people it was mine or i'll give you ￡50 and say it's yours'' guess which one i'd take!?!? the latter, it might be personal to me or it might just have taken many late nights to do either way that painting is a representation of me and my years of experience,
please next time, ASK!?!? lolWww@QuestionHome@Com