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bruce511 2 hours ago [-]
The point is made in the article; Art is about branding not quality.
He made original art in Vermeer's style. All the experts of the day authenticated them as Vermeer's. Frankly, had he not confessed, they'd likely still be Vermeer's today.
Their value was locked up in the Vermeer name; the brand. Once they weren't Vermeer their value dropped by 3 orders of magnitude.
To all creators, heed the lesson. The brand is the valuable part. Building a brand is the expensive part. AI might replace your product but it can't replace your brand.
robotmay 23 minutes ago [-]
Yeah this has been the hard part for me with both transitioning into a photography business and trying to run a YouTube channel, albeit a different variation on the issue compared to the art world. Both (most) people and algorithms want you to fit neatly into a specific little box, like "high contrast black & white street photographer"; that's the dream for them. They can't deal with or understand somebody who then also takes colour photos of birds, for example. YouTube in particular hates this and has no idea how to show your video to people if it breaks from the niche it thinks your previous work fits into. Many creators find that they get pigeon-holed into the one thing that brings them success and burn out when their attempts to break out of it are met with confusion.
It's much, much harder to build a brand that is you, rather than what people want you to be, but if you can build a brand that is the whole of your personality then you can make a success of anything you publish as people are following you for you, not just your work. As someone with a complete lack of focus this is likely the only way I can make it work for me, but it's still very much a work in progress.
anitil 5 hours ago [-]
He (Han van Meegeren) was also the subject of a 'Cautionary Tales' episode [0] which I would recommend
A fictionalised account not entirely dissimilar to this kind of story is buried in "What's bred in the bone" (1985) by the Canadian author Robertson Davies. It's not a direct lift, but you'd see the resonances.
crazycheesu 2 hours ago [-]
So refreshing to read something written by a human
tugback 4 hours ago [-]
Reminds me of how some of the best security researchers started out on the 'other' side. Talent finds its way to usefulness, sometimes.
lampcord 4 hours ago [-]
Respect the technical skill, even if the ethics are questionable. Reminds me of finding an elegant hack in a deeply flawed system.
hexley19 4 hours ago [-]
From bug bounty hunter to celebrated 'fixer' – the ultimate career pivot. Kinda makes you appreciate the hustle.
He made original art in Vermeer's style. All the experts of the day authenticated them as Vermeer's. Frankly, had he not confessed, they'd likely still be Vermeer's today.
Their value was locked up in the Vermeer name; the brand. Once they weren't Vermeer their value dropped by 3 orders of magnitude.
To all creators, heed the lesson. The brand is the valuable part. Building a brand is the expensive part. AI might replace your product but it can't replace your brand.
It's much, much harder to build a brand that is you, rather than what people want you to be, but if you can build a brand that is the whole of your personality then you can make a success of anything you publish as people are following you for you, not just your work. As someone with a complete lack of focus this is likely the only way I can make it work for me, but it's still very much a work in progress.
[0] https://timharford.com/2021/03/the-art-forger-the-nazi-and-t... (sorry I couldn't find a transcript on that page, I'm sure there's one somewhere)