Did artist exploit pin-up SuicideGirls' only form of self-expression'?

NEW YORK – Artist Richard Prince took photos off of people’s personal Instagram accounts and turned them into what he has called art. Some of his subjects were photos from the tattooed pin-up collective SuicideGirls' Instagram account. Prince reportedly sold at least one repurposed SuicideGirls Instagram photo for $90,000, without ever asking permission. Group founder Missy Suicide joined us in our FOX411 LA studio -- even though she was fighting a nasty cold -- to talk about intellectual property rights in the digital age.

FOX411: When did you learn Richard Prince used your photos? What was your reaction?

Missy Suicide:  The Tuesday after Memorial Day we started to get all these people sending us articles from the Washington Post to the Guardian and the New York Times that all featured our image in the artwork for the article. We were like, “What is going on? What is this?” I never heard of Richard Prince before. So, I quickly learned that he sold one of my images for $90,000.

FOX411: You took him to task on Instagram. Tell us about your back and forth.

Suicide: My response to him taking our image was to put up the image and sell if for $90 dollars, the exact same print.  And he had taken a number of images from a number of SuicideGirls, not just the official SuicideGirls image, so we contacted them as well to see if they wanted to make their images available for $90 dollars as well.

FOX411: Some are saying Prince did this to test copyright laws. What do you think his motivation is?

Suicide: His whole MO as an artist has been to test copyright laws, but before this he’s stolen from corporations or artists that were at his level, and now he’s stealing from 20-year-old punk rock girls, and this is their only form of self-expression. So, to steal it and to sell it for that much money is crazy.

FOX411: Should there be legal recourse against Prince?

Suicide: I think if anyone should sue him it should be Instagram.

FOX411: You’re selling your pictures now – the same ones Prince sold – and are planning to donate the money to the Electronic Frontier Foundation – what does the foundation promote?

Suicide: They promote electronic freedom in the media. They protect your rights and they challenge issues like these and are supporters of “fair use.”

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