About Sherrie Levine
Sherrie Levine (born in 1947 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania) is an American photographer, painter, and conceptual artist. She is best known for her reproductions of significant male artists’ works through the medium of photography, so as to discuss notions of authenticity and originality. In particular, Levine’s reproductions focus upon idolized male artists in order to critique limiting ideas of ‘Artist Genius’ in which Art History has traditionally undervalued the role of female artists. [1]
The Pieces
Walker Evans: Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife (1936)
Sherrie Levine: After Walker Evans 4 (1981)
Walker Evans’ Support Personnel
Film or glass plate maker
Camera Company
Chemical Manufacturer
Photo paper manufacturer
Dark room equipment manufacturer (a number of different machines and supplies)
Model
Sherrie Levine’s Support Personnel
Walker Evans’ film or glass plate maker
Walker Evans’ camera company
Walker Evans’ chemical manufacturer
Walker Evans’ photo paper manufacturer
Walker Evan’s dark room equipment manufacturer (a number of different machines and supplies)
Walker Evans’ Model
Walker Evans
Camera company
Film company
Chemical manufacturer
Photo paper manufacturer
Dark room equipment manufacturer (a number of different machines and supplies)
Copyright
Sherrie Levine was able to copy the works of Edward Weston and Walker Evans because they did not fall under the 1976 US Copyright Act.
Levine reflects the mechanism of the art system, built around expressions such as authorship and originality, and questions this.
Yet the paradoxes of this system have also overtaken Levine’s works: while the photographs in question by Walker Evans can be copied and reproduced, the rephotographs by Levine are protected by copyright. [4]
Works Cited
[1]http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sherrie-levine-2753?utm_source=khanacademy.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=khan_academy
[2] http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2001.415/
[3] http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/267214
[4] http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/after-walker-evans/