THE BEGINNING
Nadia Russ (aka Nadejda Maloletneva) began painting in 1989. Then, she developed concept of the ‘meditation art’ and used this art form constantly as the main form of expression in her ink drawings and oil/acrylic paintings. Later, elements of the ‘meditation art’ were constantly appearing in her artwork ‘til present days and they are a part of NeoPopRealism, style of visual arts that Nadia Russ created and manifested internationally in 2003.
Concept of the “Meditation Art’
Artist draws the lines that curve into any shapes - faces, figures, flowers, any objects simple or complicated. Then, he/she fills every section with the different repetitive patterns and adds coloring if he/she wants use the color. Some spaces he/she can leave as it is, without the repetitive patterns or coloring. Artist do not use eraser if he/she makes a mistake, he/she just moves on and this error eventually disappears because of the balance with the following patterns. The repetitive patterns can be different. This art form relaxes your mind.
Samples of Nadia Russ’ work that feature meditation art:
“Russian Justice” journal,1992, Nadia Russ illustrated a story by Saho Sasadzava
Newspaper of the Moscow Union of Artists “Moscow Hudojnik”, 1993 - article about Nadia Russ (aka
Nadejda Maloletneva) features artwork which is based on meditation art concept she created. This artwork
is now in permanent collection of Konotop Museum, Ukraine.
This work, based on meditation art concept, is in permanent collection of Kinsey Institute
Nadia Russ, ink on paper, Fragment
Nadia Russ, ink on paper
Artworks that above are based on the art concept created by Nadia Russ in 1989.
More of Nadia Russ work related to this art form and to NeoPopRealism, which also often includes the elements of the meditation art can be found in Ukrainian Museum in New York City, Kinsey Institute/ Indiana University (200 ink drawings, 2 artworks on canvas and 2 glass objects), in Sumy Art Museum in Ukraine (20 ink drawings), in WEAM one glass object 4“x4“- museum in Miami (USA), in MOYA 2 ink drawings and 2 canvases - Museum of Young Art in Vienna (Austria), Konotop Museum (Ukraine) ink drawings and canvas painting and more. For other information visit http://www.nadiaruss.com
All right reserved.
June 3, NeoPopRealism Journal sent email to "Design Originals" and Rick Roberts & Maria Thomas that said it is not appropriate to claim the inventorship of art form that, created by Nadia Russ in 1989, and publish about it in their craftsmen's books.
Same day NeoPopRealism Journal got reply from "Zentangle": "We … are unsure of what similarities you see between Nadia Russ' work and art created according to Zentangle's teaching method. We're also unsure what you mean by "meditation art"."
June 13, NeoPopRealism Journal sent to Richards and Thomas email that said all answers to their questions they can find in Nadia Russ‘ website www.nadiaruss.com, also NeoPopRealism Journal said in this email: "We have a few questions related to "Zentangle" and would like to know if you will answer them."
NeoPopRealism Journal got no reply.
Apart from being monochromatic pen and ink drawings, I don't see a great deal of similarity between her work and Zentangle. Z. is a well-defined method of teaching an art-form to non-artists. It uses simple pattern to enable people to produce a small piece of art they can be proud of.
ReplyDeleteZentangle owes as much to calligraphy as anything else. Patterns are found and discovered the world over. No-one can own an art form - it has a life of its own and will grow, develop and change, just like human nature. It's not plagiarism - plagiarism is passing a copy of something off as your own.
So you can claim that an artist invented a method but you cannot contain or prevent its evolution. Neither can you prevent other people enjoying or profiting from their own work.
Funny, I have been wondering about this. As I have doodled many a pattern that is claimed to be "Zentangle". Though I like the idea of making something out of the doodles. I have increasingly have been concerned about the copyright police in this art form.
DeleteAnd yes it is an art form, and in that I wonder how you can go after everyone who doodles like that which you find on the "official" site.
As for being defined, no it is like any other abstract artwork. And nothing more. And as you have stated in the above comment the community behind this art form as already gone against it's self. As you can see in the official copyright that is placed on that site. Found here http://www.zentangle.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=29 So please explain to me the harsh sounding page. As art is to be enjoyed by all not controlled by some.
Kathy, the worse part about Maria Thomas, Rick Roberts and the Zentangle commercial company's mastermind from RI is that these people do not care about other people, They have no clue not about ethics not about art, nor anything else. They have the dollar signs in their eyes, ready to steal, lie, etc. The creation of art style cannot be no copyrighted, nor patented. Art belong to the people, so everyone can create in each particular style. However, the decent follower always show respect to a person who was a pioneer, who created the idea. In this case, Maria Thomas, Rick Roberts created the commercial company "zentangle" and started sell Nadia Russ' idea, offering bad quality teaching and promoting self as inventors. They thought that no one ever will figue out the truth. Good thing is that the professional people cannot be fooled by diletantes as doodlers Thomas, Roberts, and their company mastermind hairdresser. If they were decent people, they would mention Nadia Russ as the source of inspiration, as it really is. But they want to have an images of the geniuses to make more money. Too bad, they do not understand that money and the real art are antipodes. They use Nadia Russ' NeoPopRealist concept to creat doodling.
DeleteAbsolutely agree that "No-one can own an art form - it has life of its own and will grow, develop and change, just like human nature. Plagiarism is passing a copy of something off as your own". And agreed with "You can claim that an artist invented a method but you cannot contain or prevent its evolution. Neither can you prevent other people enjoying or profiting from their own work."
ReplyDeleteI disagree with: "... I do not see a great deal of similarity between her [Nadia Russ] work and Zentangle."
Your "zentangle" is the simplified NeoPopRealism ink drawing. You said "zentangle" is "a well-defined method of teaching an art-form to non-artists." You didn't say what kind art form this method teaches. If you said - NeoPopRealism, then everything would be on places.
NeoPopRealism originally using ink pen without eraser; also: the line and repetitive patterns; it helps to meditate and relax. Isn't that what "zentangle" teaches? NeoPopRealism creator Nadia Russ is a professional artist, she'd be bored to do draw the simple squares' drawings (by the way you need no squares to draw, it can be done on any piece of paper, you know it). You both using the same concept creating your drawings -lines, repetitive patterns, no eraser, meditation. Just the levels are different. You do it simple way and you need to develop your skills to be able draw figures, faces...
"Zentangle" came not from nowhere, it's originated from the NeoPopRealism, it is much simplified because done by not the artists.
May be, you should give Nadia Russ credits ("zentangle" website has written their motto "Artists for Respect") that she in 1989 brought such wonderful art form alive.
About "plagiarism". Nadia Russ already since 1989 created hundreds of the repetitive patterns in her works. Many of those patterns now have appeared with some funky names in Zentangle's website, where different people claim they created it. This website creates rules how to use these patterns and how not to... Zentangle's website and its creators cannot make the rules, related to the repetitive patterns. This is absurdity. All Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas are doing, they are trying to suggest everyone that they are "creators" or "inventors" of "new art form" and - in other people's minds - it gives them permission to create this and other nonsense rules of "authority".
Instead, they modestly should admit, that their "zentangle" is just a teaching method that teaches how to create the NeoPopRealism simplified ink drawings; stop claiming the territory of the NeoPopRealism art and create rules "how-to" "for dummies", respect people.
Read about philosophy they use promoting their absurdity:
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/HowTo:Make_People_Believe_Absurdities
You all just are victims of absurdity, very sorry to know that.
No-one can place copyright on a simple pattern or else we'd all be breaking the law by using circles and triangles.
ReplyDeleteHowever, anyone can copyright *a single piece of work* whether that be a drawing, a photo, a book, a written down method or an educational course.
The Zentangle website does not place any restriction on the use of individual patterns but they are entitled to copyright/trademark any *name* they invent.
People are getting terribly confused over what it actually being copyrighted by the owners of Zentangle.
Teaching method - copyrighted (after all they devised it).
Patterns/tangles - not copyrighted. Not possible to copyright.
The name 'Zentangle' trademarked. It's a business.
The basis of Zentangle is a 3.5" square, 4 dots, a pencil line (eventually erased) and random squiggles. You say yourself that Nadia Russ's work is nothing like that therefore you are trying to compare apples with pears. The two have a few similarities in appearance but, in essence, are completely different things.
Plagiarism is the direct copying of an individual's words or art and passing it off as one's own. That is obviously not the case here.
I can only assume that you are Nadia Russ and perhaps are a little peeved at someone else's canny business sense? I suggest you put your energy into your own creative work and let the people who enjoy 'simple and boring' Zentangles get on with theirs.
I am very happy to be a victim of absurdity - sounds like lots of fun!
By the way, *I* have no connection with Zentangle.com.
"zentangle" is simplified, beginners' work, made using NeoPopRealism ink drawing concept - line create sections, sections filled with repetitive patterns, eraser never used; good for meditation.
ReplyDeleteNadia Russ'a work is not the beginner's work.
Nadia Russ is not envy person, she loves happy and successful people, honest and with dignity.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit confused by all this - and yes, I know I'm coming to this conversation late!
ReplyDeleteFor a start, since this whole topic seems quite heated and I believe in transparency, let me give full disclosure. My name is Gillian Slane, I live in Edinburgh (Scotland) and I have no connection whatsoever either to Nadia Russ or Zentangle.
(Personally, I think everyone in a controversial dialogue should be as transparent as above, giving their real names and any connection to the parties involved. After all, what is there to hide?)
Right, now that's done! I found the Zentangle site just a few days ago, and the Nadia Russ one yesterday. Interestingly, I discovered the Russ website completely separately from the Z. one, and only found out about this argument a few hours later. I have to say, the whole ugly mess has sadly muddied my enjoyment of both.
Unlike "theraggededge" above, I do see some similarities in style between different pieces of work on the site. I can't deny that some of the patterns and concepts have a lot in common. However, I also see some similarities between Nadia's work, which came first, and illuminated manuscripts of ancient years past. This certainly doesn't mean that Ms. Russ "plagiarised" the work of a monk who produced a certain piece - she's an original and visionary artist by everything I've seen so far. But it does means that the range of artistic motifs the human brain can come up with (and finds attractive/meditative) isn't quite as infinite as we'd like to believe.
I do think it would be a pleasant gesture if the owners of the Zentangle teaching trademark would provide links on their website to Nadia's work, partly to show goodwill and partly to let Z. beginners see what sort of beauty might be created if they continue to practise this sort of meditative, structured-doodling pen art.
That said, while heated accusations are being thrown around the internet but not attributed to an actual name, I can't blame them (or other people) for disregarding the whole debate. I was taught always to ignore an anonymously-signed letter, after all.
Kind regards to all concerned,
Gill Slane.
Dear Gill, you are right. But problem of zentagle mastermainds is - they created this commercial company not in sake of art or meditation. First of all it is the source of income, also they passionatelly desire to have a fame as the inventores, while they did not invent anything. Their focus - prosperity on Nadia Russ' drawing concep. They hate Nadia, other way they would mention her in their website and other sources. If you go through all backgroung of this story, learning what they were doing to Nadia Russ while promoting themselves, everything is getting very clear. They present self as some kind of "spiritual teachers"... but their spirits are very dark.
DeleteI forgot to add: I was doing pen-only (no eraser) drawings, with repetitive patterns and using it as a form of calming meditation way back in the '80s. If I looked long and hard enough on the internet (which I obviously had no access to back then, nor had I read any books with similar ideas in them) I'd probably find pretty much the exact patterns I was drawing. Perhaps even in Ms. Russ' work or the Zentangle website.
ReplyDeleteI doubt either of them plagiarised me as a teenager. :-D (It wouldn't be worth it, I'm dreadful at art...)
Two years later, just have to say, beautifully put.
DeleteVelvet, actually all this story is not about plagiarizing the patterns. Patterns exist for million years. It is about the art concept plagiarizing: how those patterns and lines put together and make this art style extremely recognizable. Also all this story is about the ETHICs - how zentangle-doodlers hate the artist, whose ideas they use to make money daily. This website appeared only because the zentangle-doodlers company's creators were attacking Nadia Russ, instead of being grateful for her ideas saying "thank you". In the art world, people do not shy to speak openly about the artists' achievements, referring to their names. If Velvet you were attacked by some zen-doodlers-like as Nadia Russ was, you would also be horrified and made this public matter to protect self from continuing attacks.
DeleteI have looked at quite a few NeoPopRealism works online, and many Zentangle as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not see any significant or persuasive similarities. This sporadic effort by Russ seems like an attempt to exploit a superficial resemblance to promote her artwork. Full disclosure - I have had contact with the Zentangle company (not as a customer) and find them far more supportive and encouraging than any of Russ's perorations would suggest. I do not doubt that she will respond to this message with her characteristic vitriol and bombast.
I have looked at quite a few NeoPopRealism works online, and many Zentangle as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not see any significant or persuasive similarities. This sporadic effort by Russ seems like an attempt to exploit a superficial resemblance to promote her artwork. Full disclosure - I have had contact with the Zentangle company (not as a customer) and find them far more supportive and encouraging than any of Russ's perorations would suggest. I do not doubt that she will respond to this message with her characteristic vitriol and bombast.
Your comment is not relevant. Nadia RUSS does not paint since 2004 because she was stalked, she was on the edge. You can see it from her website, practically no new artwork there. So all your claims about "promoting her artwork" make no sense, there is nothing to promote any more. Nadia Russ had very complicated life in the US, and as a result, she had heart problems and almost died in 2013. Miracle saved her from death.
DeleteNADIA RUSS READ ALL YOUR POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND SHE TELLS YOU ALL THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF HER HEART. SHE HAD TO MAKE THIS "Stolen Concept" MATTER PUBLIC BECAUSE THE OBSESSED WITH FAME AND MONEY zen-doodlers's "headquarters" MADE HER LIFE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE STALKING HER FOR MANY YEAR, WHILE COPYING HER IDEAS. THEY WERE TRYING TO DESTROY ALL NADIA RUSS ONLINE PROJECTS AND APPEARANCES, SUGGESTING THAN SHE IS NOBODY IN ART, JUST A SELF-PROMOTER (IF YOU WANT TO KNOW DETAILS, READ RUSS' AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BOOK "DECA-DaNCE"). WHY? THEY ARE HOPPING THAT THEY WILL DESTROY HER PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND NADIA RUSS WILL DISAPPEAR, WILL BE A HELPLESS BUM. THEY WERE HOPPING THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE SPREADING NADIA RUSS' IDEA ALONE, GETTING ALL BENEFITS AND THANKS. THE PUBLIC ATTENTION HELPED NADIA RUSS TO STOP zen-doodlers WITH THEIR 24/7 STALKING, BUT THEY CONTINUE STAY STRONG, spreading immoral views worldwide, BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE Robert Walker-Smith SUPPORT THEM. THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL CONTINUES...
ReplyDeleteGOD BLESS ALL GOOD PEOPLE IN 2016. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Just to let everyone (who write comments in this blog) know that in 2016 and up, NADIA RUSS will not able to read your future posts and reply to them one way or another. She totally lost interest in zen-doodling subject matter, she actually was never interested not in doodling nor in everything related to it. She finds it very boring. Nadia Russ is a multi-talented person and she changes her interests like gloves. New York City is fabulous! Are you?
ReplyDelete