Rule #1

The First Time I Broke Rule #1
By Parmalee Cover

Rule #1
Never ever copy. Images must be from observation and/or from my minds eye. I invented Rule #1 the day I was born 82 years ago as of today, plus a few couple months.

Rule #2:
OK to copy if its a freshman art class assignment at Syracuse University School of Fine Arts.

I loved Giotto. He broke with the rule of stylization. He observed rather that replicating the givens of sanctioned imagery.

I no longer have the copy I made of Giotto's Christ figure but heres a digital COPY of the image- Baptism of Christ fresco by Giotto di Bondone (c.1266-1337) Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy 200 x 185 cm (6' or so) The copy I made was in black and white guache because the image I was using was black and white, not a color plate.

It was 1954 when I invented Rule #2. Replication using 1,0 code was invented the same year I hand made my eye to mind to hand copy.

Now deep in the digital age, the question for me remains: What's a copy?