Song of heroes to paint: Song lyrics, letterforms and originality: A personal enquiry through artistic practice (painting, collage and montage)

Abstract

Sixty percent lyrics in the song "Heroes" (© 1974 Shuna Shelley) have been copyright-infringed since 1977. The practice research investigates how via production of paintings inclusive (by re-appropriation of true authorial entitlement), of song lyric text from genesis – a new and positive affecting presence in sonic iconography could be made to resound.

As holder of intellectual property rights' entitlement on 1974 original written version of the song Heroes, and 60% lyrical content published without her permission, (all accreditation to the infringer/singer since 1977) the writer/painter visually returns her name onto her lyrics. Via this project Shuna Gough Taylor has displayed in new paintings her own invented refrain:

Heroes // Don’t go away / / We // We can be Heroes // Just for our day /
plus two verses:
/ I // I will be king // And you // You will be my queen /

/ And I wish // I wish you could swim // Like the dolphins // Like dolphins can swim /.
/ Obliquely we advance // Have taken our stance /
/ We can be Heroes // Just for our day // What d’you say? // Heroes /

The artist has researched through psychology and empirics of exposition of text by promulgation in paintings. Other words by her also are seen in these paintings. It has been a practice research enveloped by the emotions of victimisation counterpointed with feelings of inspiration from, and empathy with, other (heroic) people and has developed in creativity an alternative, visual chemain; through utilization of colour, line, space, texture, montage and form with letters of word, inart-pieces that in re-appropriation, assert true copyright entitlement.

Date of Award	2019
Original language	English