Art Theft: A Bigger Problem Than You Think

Essay:

          The estimated total value of stolen art worldwide adds up to around 4 to 6 billion dollars each year. (Polk) Not all stolen artworks are documented, however, due to the artists' lack of mainstream publicity. Many art thieves steal artwork daily from artists on social media platforms. Art theft is not a subject to be taken lightly; it carries significant repercussions for both the thief and the artist being stolen from. Copyright laws legally protect works of art, so stealing artwork is a crime just like any other form of theft.

          Art theft is theft regardless of how or why a thief chooses to steal the artwork. Methods of stealing art include reposting an artwork without permission or proper credit, tracing an artwork line for line, heavily referencing an artwork, and wrongfully claiming to be the artist of the piece. The proper approach to using any artist's art requires asking them for permission to repost or reference their work. Explicit permission from the artist is necessary. (Ward) Using their work without getting direct permission becomes theft. Typically, a thief steals art with negative intentions to gain attention or money that they would otherwise not receive. Some thieves steal art to gain attention even though they know it will be mainly negative. They do not care about being hated because they are too busy enjoying the "fame". Others think that they can get away with using an artist's work to make a profit. Occasionally, the thief does not realize that what they are doing is wrong. This is usually the case when they are too young to understand or do not have enough knowledge of how the art community works. Whatever the case may be, the thief still holds responsibility for recognizing their mistake and avoiding it in the future. It should be noted, however, that if the thief does not understand that they are making a mistake but does genuinely apologize for and learn from it, the art community is more likely to understand rather than condemn them. Stolen art harms the artist and thief whether the thief is unaware of the implications their actions have or steals the art with malicious intent in mind.

          Artists rely on recognition of their work to gain revenue that is necessary for paying off living expenses such as bills and groceries. When an art thief takes that recognition for themselves by claiming they are the original creator, the person viewing the stolen art may never know who the true artist is. The thief typically removes all links that direct a viewer back to the artist. These links include the artist's watermark, a signature or logo used to establish ownership, and directly crediting the artist either within the caption of a digital post or during a verbal interaction. The viewer has no knowledge of the original artist without these links and therefore cannot give them recognition nor buy their products. The artist loses a potential customer which, in turn, causes the artist to lose revenue. On the other hand, the thief might intentionally scam the artist's potential customer into purchasing the art from them instead. Unsuspecting customers either receive a stolen or copied artwork or no product at all. This practice allows the thief to not only take away the artist's potential revenue but to also make a profit for themselves in the process. (Ward) The negative effects art theft imposes on the artist are easily recognizable; however, the thief also receives unfavorable consequences that are not always clear at first.

          Art theft affects the thief as much as it affects the artist because they are now linked with the theft which may haunt them for quite some time. If an artist knows they have been stolen from, they have a choice to call out the thief publicly. Announcing that their artwork has been stolen is a common practice, especially if the artist discusses matters with the thief but the thief does not comply. This call out means other people are now aware of the thief's actions which results in them deeming the thief as an untrustworthy and disrespectful individual. The negative attention the thief receives leads to a loss of previous or potential friends and clients. Others will no longer wish to do business with them out of fear that the theft will happen again with them possibly becoming the ones who are scammed or stolen from. The possibility exists of art companies, business partners, or art schools finding evidence of the thief's history with art theft while conducting a background check. Some establishments refuse to hire employees with a history of art theft; they decide the thief is liable to repeat the theft, which would make the establishment appear unprofessional, so they do not hire the art thief to avoid that risk. Consequently, this decreases the chances of the thief obtaining a satisfying job or life-long career. These consequences stick with the art thief throughout the years and are difficult to leave behind.

          Art theft prevents the artist from earning recognition and revenue as well as harms the thief's reputation in the art community and their potential jobs. Many thieves think that they are allowed to steal art because they believe it is "just art" and "not a big deal". They do not understand that art is a legitimate business; art is a commodity and artists base their livelihoods off the money they make from it. Thieves also do not realize how much art theft affects them. Their reputations are tarnished after stealing from an artist simply because they want attention or money. Art theft does not only happen to famous Renaissance paintings hanging in fancy museums. It happens to all artists no matter how big or small,popular or unpopular, experienced or inexperienced. Art theft is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is essential for everyone to learn the important lesson that art theft is wrong and that there are consequences for stealing artwork.