Throughout my work, I decided to use sampling. This is a new skill that I have adopted and although it reaches a more contemporary audience I found the concept intriguing and it provoked a lot of wider moral reflection in me. Since it was coined in the late 1970’s it has become more and more popular among several genres of art. Vicky Bennet is a widely known Sound Artist who famously uses sampling to her advantage in order of creating art. Her piece ‘The Sound Of Ehe End Of Music- People Like Us’ portrays Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodger’s pieces being distorted and played to her contrasting artwork and 60’s rock music shaped onto graphic images of Vietnam war footage. Despite its highly juxtaposing ideas and aesthetics, it works in unison to create its perfect artistic harmony.
Many could argue that sampling is classed as a form of copying; Stealing other people’s work. However, art is produced to be shared and shown off and in order of taking someone’s work, it only plays to its purpose. I almost see it myself as a compliment. To have the desire to involve someone else’s artistic practice within your work speaks to me as if you admire their artistic creativity and would want to use it to enhance your work in places you couldn’t.
As an artist myself I could see the negative effects of this and the annoyance of someone taking credit for something they didn’t 100% do. However, as long as the artist mentions who and what they have sampled and does this in only a complimentary way then I do believe that this is ok. Finally, I believe that the sampled work must go alongside the artist’s artistic touch and should not be the prime characteristic.
Despite the questions about sampling I will continue to use this but ensure that I am certainly sticking to my own set of rules and guidelines to keep this morally correct.