So this French artist, Marie Blanco Hendrickx, working under the name Mijn Schatje, is busted. Full details, history, and statement at the link.
In summary, Ms. Hendrickx stole photos from artists (doll sculptors, painters, and photographers) and photoshopped the crap out of them. Okay, technically she “learned ninja Illustrator skills” and vector traces & overpaints, but to me, that’s the same as photoshopping the crap out of a stolen photograph.
And this isn’t just a fangirl hobby of hers, this is her career. She is an arteest. She has loads of gallery shows, prints selling for upwards of a grand, clothing deal with Fornarina, laptop and iPhone skins at Infectious, has a stolen doll photo on the cover of a Taschen calendar, has done work for Sony for Playstation, etc.
The Arteest says that all of her characters come right out of her magical brain. The gallery curators and the folks that bought her work ought to be pissed off: they were conned.
To save you some link-clicking, here are a couple of examples. These are the faces from the source images, Mijn’s final product, and overlays proving that the source images were the foundation on which she painted.
I snagged both of these demonstrations from Radiotrash’s site, which is the repository of information and evidence. Radio/Nic and the gang at DoD (doll forum) have done an incredible job with this whole situation.
Doll sculpted by Zoukei-mura for Volks, photographed and owned by Kallisti (who also owns and photographed the doll on the Taschen cover):
Doll sculpted by Gentaro Araki for Alchemic Labo – Unoa Lusis; again, owned and photographed by Kallisti.
Pretty damning.
Kallisti’s a pal of mine. She’s by no means the only artist whose work Mijn stole, but it seems that she’s a favorite source (that Playstation stuff? One is an Elfdoll Soah, sculpted by Rainman, photographed by Kallisti, swiped by Mijn.) There’s good reason for that: Kallisti/Blastmilk’s doll photography is freaking awesome.
Anyway, this is the really comical bit. I’m not making this up.
1. Kallisti photographed a sculpture.
2. Mijn stole the photograph, painted over it, sold it as original work.
3. … and then did it a few more times for good measure. Same photo base.
4. Fashion label Fornarina picked up Mijn and the painted-over photo of a sculpture is printed on shirts.
5. -
-
wait for it – because this is fucking funny, people -
…
5. Fornarina, in order to help market the line, MAKES A SCULPTURE! Of the print of the painting on the photo of the sculpture!
… and then there’s dancing and parasols and some shit at the fashion show, too.
AhahahahaHOOboy. This is when lies come back and bite you in the ass something wicked.
From her Myspace: “I was convinced very early on that reality is what you want it to be.”
That’s called “being fucking delusional,” thar, dollface. Reality: BUSTED.
