Artists as Thieves

How often do you allow another artist’s work to inspire your own?  That’s a question that I’ve been asking myself since I started reading Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.

I have to admit, that I’m much more comfortable with how I phrased it then how Kleon phrases it.  “Allow another artist to inspire you work” vs. stealing.  Doesn’t my way sound so much nicer?

Still, I’ve been struggling with the thought — How can you take an idea from someone else and truly make it your own.  Then my husband showed me Star Wars Relativity V2.

Although Escher is known for drafting architectural impossibilities, 16 year-old Paul Vermeesch realized that Relativity could actually be built.  After re-drawing it and drafting a version in Lego Digital Designer, he set about building the Star Wars version that you can see in the article.

Yes, he closely followed Escher’s original.  Yes, he was also inspired by both Star Wars and Legos.  But the end result?  Like nothing you’ve seen before.

Take your inspiration from others and, by the time you’ve spent the time on it that Vermeesch did, the end result will belong to you and no one else.

–SueBE