Artist Richard Prince Makes $100,000 Selling Your Instagram Pictures in New York


Richard Prince

Right now you can purchase someone’s Instagram photo for around $100,000. The money won’t go to the photographer, however, it will go to Richard Prince, who has blown up and made prints of other people’s Instagram photos for his series titled “New Portraits.” The previously private show at the Gagosian has been a part of Frieze.

According to Petapixel, “Prince is notorious in the art world for taking other people’s work, ‘appropriating’ them as his own with various changes, and then selling them for large amounts of dough.” And no, he did not get permission for these prints, which are screenshots of the images with one addition from Prince, “a short message [he] posted as the last comment on each one.”

Artnet addressed the exhibit in a piece titled “Richard Prince Sucks,” where they write: “In another image, he writes under young singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira’s portrait of herself in the passenger seat of a red sports car: ‘Enjoyed the ride today. Let’s do it again. Richard.’ If she had a snide response to the leering comment, we never learn what it was. Like a true troll, Prince always gives himself the last word.”

One Instagram in the show was taken by DoeDeere, who posted an image from the show earlier this week, adding:

DIY Photography notes that Prince has been “rephotographing” since the 1970s, and if anyone does go after him, it won’t be his first time in court. In the past, however, he’s won, since his work (including these Instagrams) falls under fair use.

And while you’re poking around Instagram, why not check out @artFido and @artFidoVideo? We’ve now got well over half a million followers, and we always give credit to all the artists we feature and promote!

And don’t forget, if you’re looking for a piece of original art to hang on your walls, check out artFido HERE!


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8 Comments

  1. This is simple opurtunism! I was seeing this on a metaphoric way, is like if somebody is trying to sell you a very expensive apple from a tree that is on a abandoned or public place, in which place you could obtain the same apple from the same tree for free! THIS IS STUPIDITY AS ITS BEST!

  2. Art Fido drives traffic (and sales) by stealing your videos and posting them to Facebook and Instagram. Just as bad.

    This artist gave credit just like you do on Instagram and (sometimes but rarely) on Facebook.

    Just like Richard Prince, Art Fido fails to ask permission before taking and making money. Shame on your staff.

  3. I believe that while this is a new, creative form of art, which might look modern and aesthetically apealing in someone’s home, the process by which Richard Prince obtained them. It required little to no effort, that is not nearly worth $100,000. He is not only stealing someone’s artwork, but violating their privacy, and it is sickening to think about the amount of money he has obtained from using other people’s photos

    1. how is this a violation of their privacy? those people agreed to display their photo’s for millions of people didn’t they? And btw, i do understand what you’re trying to say.. i guess, but if you think about it: the amount of effort art requires doesn’t determine the value of it, doesn’t it? Besides that, no one can say how much a piece of art is worth except from the highest bidder. Last thing: doesn’t art always consist of using existing elements? I consider this piece of art as a reminder that when you put something on the internet like this, it’s not yours anymore. Legal or illegal, the internet will always be a unpredictable place, so expect the unexpected.

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