Editorials by Forrest Fenn - What the hell is wrong with this guy?

What The Hell's Wrong With This Guy?
by Forrest Fenn

I looked on the back of a painting the other day and was startled to read, in big letters, THIS PAINTING MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT ……..blah, blah, blah. I couldn’t believe it. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Do you know that when you buy a painting you have no rights to it unless you specifically get those rights in writing from the artist? If you put that painting (it was mediocre) on your Christmas card and send it to all of your rich friends, you could be in trouble way up past your zipper. How stupid can you get? If I had my way, some of these “artists” would have to get an advertising degree before they could go to art class.

The artist is question used to have a good following, mostly because he was good looking and single. Hell, a book was even written about him. A fully painted Indian just standing there looking at you or a horse turned sideways on the canvas were his usual fare. Who cares? I’ve watched this guy paint studies for a couple of decades and often wondered when he was gonna make the painting.

What’s wrong with my reproducing his work wherever I want to? When I start my new career as a painter, I’m gonna write on the back in big red letters, “PLEASE REPRODUCE THIS GREAT WORK OF ART ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO, JUST PLEASE SPELL MY NAME CORRECTLY.” Now look at all of the people who are gonna work for me, spreading my name and talents around to the buying class. I can hardly wait.

Now don’t get your pulse rate up because I know what you are thinking. “Some shyster would make prints and the poor artist wouldn’t get his 66.66%”, right? How sad. It would sure be worth it to me if he made prints of my work and sold them. What’s wrong with his making a few bucks while he’s making me famous, sought after, rich and other things that I can’t even think of at the moment?

Besides, the artist in question has pretty much faded into the landscape over the years. I wonder if it’s because he couldn’t figure out any of this stuff?