Miffy with a beak, Eric Cartman from South Park in Balenciaga – artists deny plagiarism and say they have appropriated cartoon characters
- Chinese artist and art professor Feng Feng, who put a beak on cartoon rabbit Miffy, says he seeks to present new issues by tapping into viewers’ memories
- Ernest Chang put Lucy from Peanuts in Versace and a South Park character in Balenciaga, a comment on how kids are bombarded by both cartoons and luxury logos
A professor at one of China’s top fine-art academies wanted to get people interested in contemporary art with his latest exhibition, and they did.
Chinese internet users were filled with outrage, accusing Feng Feng of plagiarising Miffy, the world-famous cartoon rabbit created by a Dutch artist. But the Chinese artist refuses to apologise for his “Rabbitduck” series – pictures of Miffy with a duck’s beak.
“Plagiarism and appropriation represent two different attitudes. Those who plagiarise often try to hide the original by making changes to it, and they target works that are not so famous because they are afraid to be discovered,” the professor at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts tells the Post. His Rabbitducks are not plagiarism, but appropriations, he says.
Coincidentally, a Hong Kong-based artist is also about to show works that incorporate familiar characters from popular culture. Ernest Chang’s “Bling Dynasty” puts characters from Peanuts, South Park and other cartoons into paintings, embroideries and sculptures that use traditional Chinese art techniques.
The US-born artist takes Feng’s side. Use these cultural icons well and they can make people think about important issues, he says. It is a far better option than making art that the audience does not connect with.
