In the last few posts we looked at legal matters, copyright infringements, designers getting inspired by rare antique pieces and a collective or artists turning an exercise in trademark infringement into a work of art. But sometimes you wonder if also certain campaigns that you spot on the Internet may be hiding some form of copyright infringement when they bear some visual resemblance to the work of a specific artist and if artists may be able to prove it.
Take the latest Acne Studios campaign for the brand's S/S 22 women's collection: photographed by Kacper Kasprzyk, with a set design by Aron Heinemann, the campaign, unveiled on Instagram, features Margo Whitley in a crocheted bodysuit.
Whitley moves in an environment covered in crochet doilies, actually everything seems to be covered in crocheted pieces, even her massive platform sandals, while her handbag looks like an assemblage of crocheted pieces.
The effect is very reminiscent of artworks by Joana Vasconcelos covered in Azores crocheted lace, such as her piano, textile pieces or earthenware animal sculptures by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro.
Was the campaign inspired by her? Who knows, nobody has acknowledged her so far, so this may just be a weird coincidence and casual correspondence. But if it weren't, it would be legally intriguing to see how a lawyer or a judge would move to find a solution for such a case.
