When I was in art school, a phrase we all learned early on was, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”
I had heard that old saying long before I got to college. When you spend all of your time creating, you tend to pick these things up as you go, it turns out.
Eventually, I would learn that those words did not, in fact, come from Picasso. They had a mostly unknown origin and a meaning that did not suggest literally stealing from other artists or customers.
When I read articles about Oklahoma City artist Desmond Mason’s trouble with allegedly taking commission money but not delivering final pieces, it made me think about the old quote a bit more.
Mason’s history with copying other famous artists has been documented, and while I’ve never loved the idea of doing that personally, I can somewhat understand it for an artist who takes commissions to create specific pieces. If someone were to pay me $2,000 to paint “something similar to Duchamp,” you had better believe I’d be scribbling chairs from multiple angles all over the canvas. That’s copying, and for a reason.
As a side note, a whole discussion exists in the art world about this sort of thing, with the point being that we need to question what makes something an original idea and whether blatantly copying someone else’s work is a legitimate form of art in itself. (Speaking of Duchamp, you might think about how his “Fountain” piece evoked questions about what art even is.)
Anyway, the “stealing” part of the old phrase is supposed to involve taking a style and making it your own, which is a different endeavor as an artist altogether. It sounds like Mason was perhaps stealing something else from these patrons, but the details of the cases will be litigated at a later time.
My advice for anyone looking to purchase from a local artist is to visit the many wonderful art walks and gallery openings we have around Oklahoma City and the state more broadly. (The Paseo’s First Friday is always a great option.) There are tons of awesome creatives working their tails off to get things out in front of audiences, and they would love to have their pieces find good homes. The bonus part is that you get to take the art home right away, too. It’s a slam dunk.
Prior Sundaze comics
Despite U.S. loss to Belgium, World Cup still half full
Taste test: Brent Swadley jail calls flavorful, yet bitter
Audits of the Fates: Drummond, Stitt request dueling paperwork
Status quorum: Senate sees ‘shenanigans’ intensify
Food fight! State superintendent race messy already
Oklahoma’s plan for new state plane raises eyebrows
Lawmakers stuck on the same level for years
Edmond Walmart drama needs a neighborly solution
Epic preliminary hearings live up to their moniker
The OU men’s basketball program finally found a spark
With wounded wing, Stitt suggests rolling back Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana
Pandemonium easier to predict than precipitation
Housing might be nice, but only if the lines are good
Maybe the entire American Heartland project was AI hallucination
It’s time for 2026 to take the remote
For a moment, it felt like a crimson and cream Christmas
‘Cadillac’ Jason Smith: It seems the bottle let him down
In winter weather whoopsie, ODOT caught off guard
The price is wrong? Compensation chaos for politicians irks Oklahomans
Let the 2026 Oklahoma lame duck hunt begin
OKC voters strongly support fixing pothole problems
Ding dong: Ryan Walters thumbing for a hitch
Apparently ‘bias’ on the bench is OK in Oklahoma
Nix 66: OKC boot scoots back to the drawing board
New ‘campus corner’ could help Edmond’s quality of (night) life
Coming to theaters: Character Assassination, starring Jackie Chan
Ryan falters: Boobs, pubes cause chaos in meeting
Thunder arena reveal becomes icing on the cake
We interrupt this forecast for a weather radar attack
The Thunder kept it rolling all year long
Gamefowl Commission mired in ‘shady’ circumstances
OKC Thunder fans face hypertensive NBA Finals
Motion to pizza: Session slumber party gets rowdy
Aluminum or aluminium: Making metal in NE Oklahoma
Fight over SB 647 objectively and relevantly funny
Cognitive financial therapy: Mental health agency down in the dumps
On dueling holidays, enjoy Easter treats responsibly
Control of federal funds could be sent to Ryan Walters
The real MVP? Nick Gallo antics hype historic season
OKC challenging Chicago as windiest city
Funny money: OSU endures innovation frustration
