August 3rd, 2009 — Sad Story
I am very sad to report that today I found out that someone named Samantha Beeston has been stealing my work – big time. She even won an award for it. Thanks to jenslucky7 on Etsy for giving me the heads up. Check out some of the links here:
Her portfolio website:
http://www.samanthabeeston.co.uk/index.htm
(looks like she took her site down)
The award:
http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/winners_2009.htm
Blog features with more example images (these have also been deleted):
http://www.newdesigners.com/page.cfm/Action=ExhibitorLibrary/LibraryID=3/ProductID=327/viewHiRes=_self/
http://www.newdesignersonline.co.uk/view-your-profile/viewimg-12595.html
YouTube video of her “sketchbook”
Book-By-Its-Cover Blog Post about the story:
http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/fineart/a-sad-story-must-read
You Thought We Wouldn’t Notice post with more images:
http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/?p=3896
List of Plagiarized Drawings (that I know of, 32 and counting..):
Feather Clip
Oscar Wilde
Shaker Pattern
Getting Ready (Business Casual)
Speed of Light
Overcoat
Skinny Dipper
Tower (Day and Night)
Drummer
Soldier
Tuba?
Stakes
Regent Street
Untitled (two small birds)
Champion
Walking and Thinking
Dance Off
Architect
China Sleeping with Flowers
Dress Shoes for Men and Women
Guest Bedroom
Bird Scare
Craigslist
Thinking About Vacation I
Thinking About Vacation II
Tarjetta Postale
About 31 tiny objects that are part of larger objects
Serious Dancing
Fantastic Trendy Set
Shack Stack
Doodles From a Phone Call About Boy Problems
Untitled (blog post 12/11/07)
50 comments
This is just awful. Your work is beautiful and I know how much effort you have put into deveoping your own style. Perhaps tomorrow’s drawing should be of Sarah Beeston?
I meant Samantha.
Ugh… so sorry. Looks as though everything on Beeston’s website has been taken down now… if you can call that an upside.
Just caught wind of this on Twitter. Be sure to keep us updated on what happens.
I found this photo of Samantha receiving her award.. with some fantastic sketches in the background..
http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/gallery/Judges_0004.jpg
Good luck!
is there something that can be done? try contacting the site that awarded her.
make a little widget and put it somewhere on your site:
http://creativecommons.org/choose/
Stealing art is something anyone can do. I check back because of what you do. At least she can’t claim credit for the talent.
I HATE those kind of things, it happened something similar to me too :( all my support for your artworks (originally) great! You’ll be recognized, she’s just a little student without ethics…
the NERVE!
i mean, she didn’t change anything…
geez!
What an awful bitch! This just makes me sick to my stomach for you.
It is one thing to be inspired by another artist but completely a different thing to take an actual piece and use it!! This is totally unacceptable and there is no doubt in my mind that this Samantha person was aware of that. It’s the equivalent of plagiarizing a paper in college- which gets you kicked out. It goes even a step further when she wins a contest for Lauren’s work. I wonder how she feels now when her lie has been discovered. Basically she has to take down her entire portfolio. Her career as a designer is tainted from here on out.
i understand if this changes the way you post in the future, but i would be so sad to see you discontinue your drawings of the day because of this. i love your illustrations. hopefully this will generate some positive publicity for you in the end.
that’s terrible. It’s one thing to be inspired…..but to trace!!!! Did you contact her? Is she like really really young or something? There’s no excuse.
I bet your jaw just dropped when you saw that. I just don’t understand what would lead a person to plagiarize so openly (so stupidly!). I hope this all gets straightened out, particularly that award business.
Lauren, your work really inspires me . i check out your page all the time. it’s really horrible that she stole from you. hopefully youre compensated for her selling your work out from underneath you. all i can say is wow!
I am so so sorry. Your work is absolutely brilliant. I agree with nora - it would be so sad if you discontinued your drawings because of this. You are a big inspiration.
I’m staggered that she would do that. My stomach felt hollow looking at what she was claiming to be her work - goodness knows how you must have felt.
I hope you will keep us updated with what happens.
i’ve just read about this via twitter. am quite shocked that she has so blatantly copied. i’m based in the uk, and just wanted to say to you that given samantha beeston has been involved in the new designers exhibition in london, that would mean that she is a recent graduate in textiles, from, i think, falmouth university.
i would guess that a great deal of the work she has been marked on for her degree is going to have been copied from you too. her tutors would no doubt, be very embarrassed, and also have to think about whether she needs her grade reassessing!
there is a bit about her here,
http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/1046/news-from-university-college-falmouth-5/press-releases-47/national-successes-for-textile-designers-2013.html
ironic that her senior lecturer describes her work as being ‘really unique’!!! the link to him, and his email address is here,
http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/component/contacts/352/view/design-textile-design-bahons-101/dr-simon-aclarke-261/index.html
you may or may not already know all this, but if not, hope this helps : )
I’m very sorry your work has been stolen. I guess this is one’s greatest fear in posting your work online–outright theft. As badly as I feel for you, I also feel badly for the thief. She has ruined her own reputation and gravely harmed her future in the arts. Didn’t her instructors explain that plagiarism and theft of others work is not acceptable? I hope you will blog about how you deal with this violation and how this incident affects the future of your blog.
Lauren, I love your work. I am so sorry to hear about all this.
I do, however, feel so badly for the both of you. I hope this doesn’t make you stop working the way you do, and it’s quite sad that she is ruining her career at such a young start…
I always look for the good in people, so I still feel like there might be some explanation / misunderstanding… maybe she has been crediting you and it just hasn’t surfaced… or maybe she was misinformed about how to use other peoples work… either way, you deserve your credit and much more after all this chaos. You are an amazing illustrator.
And just FYI there is already a post on “You thought we wouldn’t notice…” blog for her: http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/?p=3896
This is absolutely disgusting. Such a young designer starting off her career by cheating and stealing. It a shame. I personally don’t feel very sympathetic for her. How come she didn’t even change a thing from your works and claimed it hers? We all get inspired by other people’s work, but we also know plagiarism can’t be justified. I really want to slap her in the face, multiple times.
I’ve always admired your works of art, and of course, inspired by them. As a big fan of yours, I sincerely hope this incident wouldn’t stop you from doing your work the way you’ve been doing. Visiting your web site has been a daily routine for me, ever since I first found it.
Also — I am personally offended by her stealing “Doodles From a Phone Call About Boy Problems.” Those are MY boy problems, goddammit.
Lauren, I am sickened by this and I really feel for you. It is just terrible that she just TOOK your drawings and put her name to them.
I am very sad for her as well that she felt the need to do this. All the same, it really is totally unacceptable.
One good thing has come from this, and that is that I have been made aware of your wonderful work and I am sure many others have been too!
All the best xx
This is so absolutely shockingly disgustingly awful. I don’t even know what to say. I’m glad you’re getting a lot of support and hope it will be sorted out as well as it possibly can. Your work is wonderful. x
Lauren, I am so sorry to hear this awful news! You’re such an amazing illustrator who works so hard. I really hope this can turn into some recognition and more commissioned offers for you once people start coming to take a look at your work.
We’re spreading the word about this awful event: http://thebreaksover.com/?p=2165
lauren, your work is awesome & i can’t imagine how upsetting/exhausting it must be to have to combat such a maniacal plagiarist. (i think someone on julia’s blog called her ‘pathological’…clearly she is) good for you, for doing something about this, and for acting publicly - raising awareness of this violation and of copyright issues in general.
lauren. i’m so upset to hear this.. how terrible.. i was just admiring your work the other day, some very beautiful work you’ve been doing.. hope this gets resolved.. best // jen
Oh dear…I’m so sorry. Your work is wonderful, I’ve been a fan for a long time. I wish there was something else I could do.
Oh my, I’m so sorry this has happened to you. The only good thing is that, as others have said, I have discovered your beautiful work because of it all.
I am truly appalled by what has happened to you. I see it happening more and more to people lately but never as blatant as in your case. I hope that you see a swift resolution to all this madness so you can get back to creating your amazing work. Best of everything to you!
Your work is constantly inspiring–but the day I trace a drawing of yours and proudly display it as my own is the day I renounce all integrity. Hope this young gal is merely insecure and not as sick as she seems.
Well, at least she didn’t win the “Breaking New Ground” prize. That would’ve been a real kick in the teeth! As disheartening as this is there is always a bright side. People like this always get caught and you’ve made a lot of new fans! If it weren’t for Samantha’s BS I never would’ve heard of you.
*interesting*
http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/090728-texprint-winners-2009.aspx
This is awful! I hope you let know the ‘Textprint’ prize people about it, she should be taken away that price!
I, like many others, found your work via YTWWN. And on some level, I’m glad some talentless hack ripped off your work- I wouldn’t have chanced upon your distinctive style and wonderful illustrations otherwise. She will have to find a new career. And you have won many new fans. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to your book, and I will be checking your blog for updates.
Also, additions to the growing list of plagiarized drawings:
House Head 1 (October 19th, 2008)
Vacation (July 23rd, 2008)
Thinking About Vacation (make-up for 7/22) (July 23rd, 2008)
Stockholm (fancy dress) (April 14th, 2008)
Krazy Kat Treehouse (March 5th, 2008)
Chippendale (May 12th, 2009)
Hepplewhite (May 12th, 2009)
These were found in her picture (with the display of “works” behind her) at the Texprint awards. There’s probably many more that I cannot match with my limited memory, but which certainly seem like your work, and which I’m sure that you can recognize in an instant. Pretty high-res picture: http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/gallery/Judges_0004.jpg
I’m sure these were part of her senior thesis. I do hope her alma mater reconsiders her grade/takes away her degree, until she can put in her own creativity, energy and effort into earning it.
Please remove this.
Your points been made
As many of us have thought, work in Samantha’s “sketchbook” that was not lifted from Lauren’s site was lifted from somewhere else, namely a Woodpigeon album cover.
Samantha’s lifted image:
http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/winners_2009.htm
Woodpigeon album cover:
http://www.woodpigeon-songbook.com/music/songbook/
I suspect this story will continue to get worse. Truly pathalogical.
Through Camilla Engman’s blog I got the news about your awful loss. I was horrified ! How can any so-called-artist use a literal translation of some other artist?? All I can say is, she is not creative and a fake! Just a common thief. I hope you will get all the credit you deserve. Much strength !
I have sent the following letter to the textprint org. Perhaps others might write to them as well.
My name is Jon robin Baitz.
I am an American playwright, producer, and screenwriter.
I am also a collector of art. Included in my collection are works by Eric Fischl, David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, Kiki Smith, Billy Sullivan, to name a few. Lately I have been buying work by younger artists,
including that of Lauren Nassef. It has come to many people’s attention here that one of your awardees, Samantha Beeston has managed to breathtakingly plagiarize - to steal out of whole cloth
the works of Ms Nassef for her own profit and reward.
Ms Beeston has therefore also gulled and brazenly defrauded you too. I have forwarded this letter to the many dealers and artists, some of whom are listed above.
I hope you take action.
With respect
Jon robin Baitz
I also wrote them last night. I agree, all the outrage in the world doesn’t matter unless people speak up.
wow this is so unbelievably embarrassing for her, i cant believe that she thought she would get away with it. i feel sorry for her.
I think that you are all being totally unfair and harsh to Samantha I don’t think she really did anything wrong you are all ganging up on her
So typical of the idiots who post comment’s on people without knowing the full story. As a friend of Sam I know what was displayed in her website, was her graduation sketches and drawings showing an example of her ability to draw and come up with examples of a much respected and admired artist Lauren Nessef . Sam was entered into texprint by the university. To see some of the comments even to her brazen defraud is completely untrue. I have no doubt while Miss Nessef was doing her degree she will have been inspired by other artist’s and used examples to gain her degree. Could any one of you say you have not gained ideas and therefore profited from someone else’s work. Bigoted hypercritics
i am so very sorry to hear about this! and the nerve to submit for an award!
“Could any one of you say you have not gained ideas and therefore profited from someone else’s work. Bigoted hypercritics”
I’ve certainly gained ideas from other artists. What I have never done is copy their work and pass it off as my own. I knew not to do this at age 6 or 7!
To do this as shown here is despicable. It is beneath contempt. It is DEATH for an aspiring artist, particularly one who profits by her stealing.
Don’t agree? If you’re still in denial ask any professor to compare these examples, check whose came first(Lauren’s) and then stick your foolish tongue out at them, stamp your foot and insist that “it’s just about “SAM’S ABILITY! What’s the problem?” You’ll get the lecture of your life. I assure you, “Sam’s” professors will take a very different view of what she did than you do. It’s not de rigeur nor cool on any academic or (for that matter) human level. It’ a dead serious offense anywhere in the world.
And what on the earth is your post supposed to be describing anyway, “Unknown ‘friend of Sam’s”? Are you seriously suggesting that to pose in front of a wall of someone else’s copied and published work was some sort of assigned “homage”? Seriously? If so, then why was there no mention anywhere on Beeston’s blog of Lauren Nassef and that all the drawings visible were done first by her? Your beliefs and suggestions and excuses are ludicrous.
If Beeston gets away with merely destroying her nonexistent career and is only asked to return her fraudulent prize money to Texprint, she’ll be very lucky. Yet this too wasn’t her fault, because the university submitted it? Then oh, dear–she’s made Falmouth look foolish indeed. They can’t feel too good about that. Yet she did nothing wrong…er, right?
As a working artist there is nothing in our art and business we hate more than this.
I denounce Beeston as a calculated fraud for her theft and lack of remorse. Does she even HAVE a style? If so, where is it? My fellow artist here next to me at work just leaned over and asked “what do HER drawings even look like? CAN she draw?” Who knows?
Does it occur to any of her foolish supporters/”friends” how very serious this is? If she manages by stealing artwork to convince important contacts that these are HER drawings when in fact they are not, she is tainting/defaming the true artist who actually drew them, Lauren Nassef–the unwitting victim of her fraud and deceit. Is that in any way fair to the REAL artist?
This is all her doing. No apologies can change what;s been done. There is simply no excuse. Beeston needs to start over–and frankly, change her name.
I applaud and admire the lovely, elegant work of Lauren Nassef. No one deserves to have to deal with plagiarism-on this scale, especially. I hope she won’t let it make her too gunshy about the internet; most of us are I think honest, and happy to give praise where it is due.
Below is a letter I sent to the clearly insane Ms Beeston’s professor at art school. Here is his address:
simon.clarke@falmouth.ac.uk
Dear Sir,
Though I am sure by now you have heard of this shocking betrayal of all that we, as artists, believe, I did want to make sure. Ms Nassef is, in fact, the unique artist whose work you
praised, while Ms Beeston has treated all who believe in her with a kind of saddening contempt. Of course I am sure she is quite ill, but that does not mitigate just how
stomach turning this entire business is.
Sincerely
Jon robin Baitz
Begin forwarded message:
:00 AM EDT
To: info@texprint.org.uk
Subject: Samantha Beeston/ Lauren Nassef.
My name is Jon robin Baitz.
I am an American playwright, producer, and screenwriter.
I am also a collector of art. Included in my collection are works by Eric Fischl, David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, Kiki Smith, Billy Sullivan, to name a few. Lately I have been buying work by younger artists,
including that of Lauren Nassef. It has come to many people’s attention here that one of your awardees, Samantha Beeston has managed to breathtakingly plagiarize - to steal out of whole cloth
the works of Ms Nassef for her own profit and reward.
Ms Beeston has therefore also gulled and brazenly defrauded you too. I have forwarded this letter to the many dealers and artists, some of whom are listed above.
I hope you take action.
With respect
Jon robin Baitz
Dear “Unknown”.
Regarding your defense of Ms. Beeston.
Perhaps it’s a question of up-bringing.
This, however, lives not at all, not for one moment at all — in a grey area. It is theft, pure and simple. Ms Nassef created art works which were then ripped off for reward and profit by someone who was unable to create art work of their own.
An artist works from mysterious places, some banal, and some holy, but all private, and all theirs, and while one does not expect civilians to understand this, artists should.
And if you attempt to apply some sort of skeevy moral relativism here, well then, with all possible respect, frankly, you are morally retarded. This is not merely ganging up, and if you think it is — you do not know the value of and meaning of your actual life. Which is very real.
And of course, If you are, indeed, Ms. Beeston, you are also burdened by being a coward, and perhaps a sociopath, which often goes hand in hand with moral retardation.
Sincerely
Robbie Baitz
Hi Lauren
I read about your story on Books by its cover blog.
I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It is a breach of your copyright since she used your drawings for her own.
You can contact the AOI if you wish, to see if there is anything could be done. They are used to copyrights and the legal side of illustration. However its dignified that Ms Beeston took her site down. It is unfair that she took credit for your hard earn work.
All I want to say is don’t give up and definitely keep doing your artwork better than before, that is where she cannot touch you.
Because she cannot keep up to you.
You’re very talented and don’t give up cos of this.
Take care
June
@kellen
Yes! That’s where I saw it before. I checked a bunch of Toronto graphics folks’ websites and couldn’t find a match, and it drove me mad. Good find!
@Unknown, @Anon
From what I can read on http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/awards.htm, “Samantha has a beautiful use of colour, a great sense of nostalgia and wit, and so many ideas in her sketchbooks – I was blown away by all angles of what she does, her drawing ability and her sense of colour which is very specific and very special.”
You’d think she’d have the decency to point out that the drawings weren’t hers at all. And some other site listed her spiel about how she was inspired by Goddard and 1920s Montmarte ( Google cache doesn’t lie). So clearly, she knew what she was doing.
Oh, and she submitted one of Lauren’s drawings without changing anything, as if it were her own work. The page has since been updated (you can see Lauren’s comment too):
http://ysh-london.blogspot.com/2009/05/sneak-peak-of-new-designers-2009.html
Google cache still has the old page though: http://tr.im/vDP9
Also, I see texprint has removed that picture of her receiving the award. I’m not sure if they were concerned about bandwidth, or because they’re actually taking steps to rectify things (But since they left the blurb and whatnot there, I guess not, and that makes me sad). I’m sure many have backed up the images on their hard drives. As have I.
If Samantha was naive enough to believe that her actions would have no consequences, well, she found out the hard way. I’ve written to texprint. I’m writing to that senior lecturer of hers next.
Also, @Unknown, I really hope your degree was not in English Language and Literature. “As a friend of Sam I know what was displayed in her website, was her graduation sketches and drawings showing an example of her ability to draw and come up with examples of a much respected and admired artist Lauren Nessef” = WTF?! Do you even read what you write? It’s alright; Logic doesn’t appear to be your strong suit.
Unknown ::
“So typical of the idiots who post comment’s on people without knowing the full story” - ok, what is the full story?
“As a friend of Sam I know what was displayed in her website, was her graduation sketches and drawings showing an example of her ability to draw and come up with examples of a much respected and admired artist Lauren Nessef ” - don’t you mean her ability to google and print?
“To see some of the comments even to her brazen defraud is completely untrue” - so where within her sketchbooks, and other work did she credit her sources?