Hospitalfield has hit out at a Glasgow artist who claims her copyright was infringed after metal sheets from one of her works were used a year later for a Dundee Contemporary Arts exhibition.
The Arbroath arts centre and the DCA have criticised Mary Redmond over “unfounded allegations” about fellow artist Alberta Whittle.
According to both organisations, Ms Redmond agreed in writing the sheets from 2018’s The Venny, The Jumps were to be recycled.
‘That is my artwork which I handcrafted’
It’s claimed she raised concerns over the handling of the situation in August last year before allegedly “detailing unfounded claims of copyright infringement, other inaccuracies and threats of legal action” to several art organisations.
Ms Redmond says she never consented to the sheets being reused.
And she insists the corrugated iron central to the controversy should not have been passed on to Ms Whittle for her 2019 exhibition How Flexible Can We Make The Mouth.
Deeply upsetting having some of my work used by another artist in their work without my consent.Public statement; https://t.co/qBW9t6tRHb @NatGalleriesSco @TMIGLA pic.twitter.com/vPPEhwQPCk
— Mary Redmond (@MaryRed71440589) April 6, 2023
The sheets from Ms Redmond’s work – which she corrugated and bent herself – were used as the roofs of half-sunken sheds in Ms Whittle’s piece.
Ms Redmond told The Courier: “That is my artwork, not materials, which I handcrafted and did not give consent for it to be used in another artist’s work.
“I wanted my artwork to be returned to me, however, Hospitalfield did not offer to pay for the return and my lack of funding meant that I reluctantly agreed.
“After many emails, I said that the artwork could be ‘disposed of’.
“In the same conversation I asked ‘Could it be recycled?’ to which I never received a reply, so there was no written agreement as to what would happen to the artwork apart from that it could be ‘disposed of’.
“Even so, recycling is different from an artwork being used in another artist’s work and them gaining credit.
“No reasonable person – especially an artist – would accept that definition of conventional recycling.”
DCA and Hospitalfield slam ‘unfounded allegations’
Hospitalfield insists Ms Redmond has refused to discuss the situation and that her “continual communication of unfounded allegations constitutes the harassment and defamation” of Ms Whittle, who is also based in Glasgow.
On Friday, the arts centre said: “We continue to stand with Alberta Whittle to support and protect her from what we believe to be Mary Redmond’s disproportionate actions and lack of willingness to work with Hospitalfield to find a resolution.
“In hindsight we regret not publicly publishing these facts of the matter at an earlier opportunity to ensure the truth of the sequence of events is accessible to all.
“We profoundly apologise to Alberta Whittle and her family for the serious harm and stress that this matter and its escalation has caused.”
DCA had released a statement hours earlier, apparently in response to a 1,500-word post on the row from Ms Redmond the previous day.
It read: “In August 2019 some materials left at Hospitalfield were given to Alberta Whittle by Hospitalfield, to use in an exhibition at DCA which opened in September 2019.
“This included materials from a previous Mary Redmond installation which the artist had agreed, in writing, were to be recycled.
“The remaining materials given by Hospitalfield and not used by Alberta were distributed elsewhere through our engagement with the Circular Arts Network.
“We support Alberta entirely and are deeply disappointed by the accusations that have been directed towards her, which are false, harmful and must stop.”
