Churchill Art Piece Called Into Question

News4 Colorado ^ | 2/24/05 | Raj Chohan

[Fizzie]

Churchill Art Piece Called Into Question

by CBS4 News reporter Raj Chohan

Feb 24, 2005 8:03 pm US/Mountain BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) Boulder County resident Duke Prentup has been a fan of native American art for as long as he can remember. That love of art took him to the home of Ward Churchill in the early 1980's, where Prentup bought several pieces of Churchill's art, including a serigraph titled "Winter Attack."

"I have enjoyed them ever since immensely, they're obviously up inside my house," Prentup said.

Last month came a stunning revelation, though, as as Prentup flipped through a 1972 book called The Mystic Warriors of the Plains written and illustrated by the late artist Thomas E. Mails. He found a sketch that was strikingly similar to the Churchill piece.

(Excerpt) See the rest of the article, and photo comparisons of the 2 pieces of art here: http://news4colorado.com/topstories/local_story_055200531.html

[Howlin]

Can you even believe this?

I'm just sitting here trying to figure out how this guy thought he'd get away with this.

Like I said up the thread, he's the Scott Peterson of academia.

[ApplegateRanch]

Yo quierro Taco Bell?

I think he copied this from early, discarded "concept" drawings by Taco Bell's ad agency.

Maybe he'll soon be "making a run for the border".

[Dad yer funny]

yeah,...back at #22 I said he'd be goin'

[Sgt_Schultze]

The "Original" purchaser on the Ebay auction states he bought the "art" directly from Churchill in 1980. By all accounts that is long before Al Gore invented the internet and long before Google.

Apparently Churchill believed research would always be a tedious, by-hand task.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

We haven't proven any fraud with this particular image. Since the photo looks well over 100 years old, it's likely in the public domain. Now, if WC took an old non-copyrighted photograph and traced lines from it to make a stylized version that he sold as "art," he hasn't done anything wrong.

What we need to do to keep looking to see if some OTHER artist thought of doing this first and then WC copied the other artist's line drawing. Now THAT would be the smoking gun we'd need to find.

[Howlin]

You're gonna love this one.

[RandallFlagg]

Oh, I'm loving it all. Yet another leftist is exposed as the loser he is.

[Drango]

Well it's not fraud and it's not a copyright violation but it's also NOT art. And it is unethical.

[Howlin]

This guy has lied about so much stuff, I'm beginning to wonder if he's really a guy.

[ajolympian2004]

I emailed this info to News 4, Channel 7 and 9 News here in Denver so far: More Ward Churchill art fraud ---

Copyrighted version info:

http://www.grandfathersspirit.com/cards/111LittleBigMan.html

Little Big Man Sioux, Oglala Photographed by Charles M. Bell Copyright 1877

Oglala Sioux Warrior. A fearless and respected warrior who fought along side of Crazy Horse against Bear Coat Miles, Little Big Man opposed the treaty and the commission that wanted to take the Black Hills from the Sioux. He was later made into an agency policeman by the whiteman, and some think that he was partially responsible for the death of Crazy Horse.

http://www.texiancowboy.com/tcwe/deadwood.htm

Ogalalla Dakota Sioux

As a member of the Sioux tribe, Little Big Man battled against the “white” intruders during the late 19th century. In September 1875, during negotiations at Red Cloud Agency regarding the future ownership of the Black Hills, he led a mock charge at the white commissioners by a large group of warriors. Firing their guns and shouting ritual war chants, they badly scared everyone but did no physical damage. After the Wounded Knee massacre of his tribe, the Sioux were forced to surrender and remain on reservations. Little Big Man was later made an agency policeman. (Credit Photo: W.H. Jackson circa 1870’s)

http://www.texiancowboy.com/tcwe/images/KQ%20Postcards/92_lrg_vert.jpg

---

Ward Churchill's version on E-Bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20148&item=7302524684&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[Drango]

Someone needs to save the ebay "art" to their hard drive. Not me:-) Night all.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

But now I see in post #213 - "Photographed by Charles M. Bell
Copyright 1877." Could it be that this image's copyright has been continuously renewed since 1877 and is therefore NOT in the pubic domain?

[Flyer]

Another side by side comparison.

[MindBender26]

Go for it.

There are so many "styles" of art claimed by this fool, some art specialist can pick up even more!

[ajolympian2004]

Look at the feathers and the detail there. It's an exact copy!

[JennysCool]

Exactly. nothing wrong with pen-and-inking a public domain photo. Lots of artists do that. Reversing and copying a work by a modern artist is quite another matter.

[Howlin]

Nothing is strange anymore. I feel like I live in a parallel universe.

[Flyer]

We haven't proven any fraud with this particular image.

It may may not be legal fraud, but it exposes the fraud that Ward Churchill is.

He sold this art as his original, as a Native American artist. Both lies.

[Howlin]

I did.

[Howlin]

But he SIGNED IT!