George Zimmerman continues to be an attention starved horrible human being.
Zimmerman has continued to keep himself in the public eye since being acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin–and now he wants us to know that even he thinks the justice system is a joke.
Just a month ago, in between run ins with the police, Zimmerman decided he fancied himself a painter and sold a painting on eBay.
It was an American flag, with the words “God One Nation with Liberty and Justice For All.”
It sold for $100,099.99.
His follow up painting is even more appalling, classless, and utterly tasteless.
The painting depicts Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, pinching her fingers together, at the press conference when she announced the long awaited charges against George Zimmerman.
The painting is a direct copy of a photo belonging to the AP, taken by Rick Wilson, a freelancer.
Zimmerman’s plagiarized painting is rather ironic for someone who was so concerned about stealing that he confronted, shot, and killed an unarmed teenager. Plagiarism is, after all, stealing.
Zimmerman further had the audacity to add the taunting quote “I have this much respect for the American judicial system – Angie C.”
Continuing to taunt, as if he & Corey are best friends and he can call her by a nickname, he’s titled the painting “Angie.”
The art world is unamused, as I’m sure is Angela Corey.
Jason Edward Kaufman, a contributing editor at Art+Auction, said the painting looks like a “bloodbath.”
Andrew Russeth, art critic for the New York Observer, pegged the paintings as a “desperate cry for attention.”
An art critic for the Village Voice, Christian Viveros-Faune, said Zimmerman’s work fits right in with other “murderabilia,” comparing his works to paintings done by cult leader Charles Manson and serial killer John Wayne Gacy. (Except I’ll bet that even John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson were above plagiarizing paintings.)
The AP and photographer Rick Wilson are also highly unamused. They’ve threatened legal action against Zimmerman, who seems to be the only one deriving any sort of amusement from this.
Zimmerman tweeted that he wasn’t worried and revealed his plans to sue the AP, saying that whatever the AP sues him for will be taken off the tab of what they owe Zimmerman once his suit of them is over. (No one seems to have any idea what he’s talking about; he probably doesn’t even know himself.)
The AP’s threat is very real–it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve had to take legal action for similar situations.
Artist Shephard Fairey was taken to court in 2012 over using an AP photo for the Obama “Hope” posters. Fairey was found guilty.
Paul Colford, a spokesperson for the AP, told politico.com:
“George Zimmerman clearly directly copied an AP photo to create his painting of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey. The AP has sent a cease-and-desist letter asserting its copyright in the photo to the lawyer who recently represented Mr. Zimmerman. That lawyer has responded, and though she no longer represents Mr. Zimmerman, she will be forwarding the letter to him today.”
“You just can’t do that. You just can’t take somebody else’s work and make it your own,” Rick Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel.
Wilson, the photographer, has retained a lawyer and said Zimmerman can expect action taken in conjunction with the AP if he continues to use the image.
The painting has not yet been listed on eBay, but tweets by George Zimmerman’s brother, Robert Zimmerman, suggest that they plan to sell the painting privately.
I also hope they’re planning for court, but I guess once you get away with murder, plagiarism seems like child’s play.
April Dawn (@scarlettsinatra)
