Artist says he’s been ‘ripped off’ by Bangkok bar owner
A Christchurch artist is claiming his intellectual property was stolen by a fellow Kiwi in Bangkok, whose pub is lined with copied versions of his art.
Tony Cribb is the creator of Tin Man, a boxy red character commonly seen in galleries and shops across New Zealand.
Cribb posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday claiming the owner of No Idea Gastropub, in Bangkok, Thailand, ripped off his work. The post included photos from inside the restaurant showing dozens of pieces of art on the walls, bearing an exact likeness to Cribb’s Tin Man works.
The pub is owned by Dave Hallam, originally from Auckland, who has lived in Bangkok for 18 years. His business’ Facebook page and TripAdvisor listing have been bombarded with negative feedback following Cribb’s post.
‘‘We were pretty upset when we first found out about it, there were some bad words said,’’ Cribb said from his studio in Christchurch. He started the Tin Man series in 2001.
‘‘This is what I do for my family. It’s a bit cheeky what has happened and we’d like the art works to be taken down.’’
In 2013, Cribb was diagnosed with a brain tumour and underwent surgery to remove it. He spent more than two months in hospital and was unable to paint for two years.
He and his wife, Pipa Cribb, were made aware of the fake Tin Man artworks about a year ago and had received legal advice, he said.
‘‘Our options were to take the business to court in Thailand and/or have our lawyer send a cease and desist letter which could easily be ignored. We did not have the funds for either of these options, [so] our only option was to make the public aware of what was happening.’’
The Press spoke to Hallam on Wednesday. He said the art was indeed copied from Tony Cribb’s work.
‘‘Yes I painted them, I copied them, and I’ve always said they were copies,’’ Hallam said. ‘‘I’ve never once said I am the creator of Tin Man, which has been suggested in some of the online comments. That is absolute nonsense.’’
Hallam said the artworks were not for sale, and had been put up on the walls as decoration about seven years ago.
‘‘Surely I’m not affecting Tony’s income. If I was producing them here by the thousands and selling them, I think everyone would have a fair gripe, but all I’ve done is put them up on the wall,’’ he said.
‘‘There are lots of restaurants here with copied artworks on the wall, so calling me a thief and a counterfeiter is just ridiculous.’’
Hallam had been in touch with Cribb and had agreed to take the pieces off the wall.
‘‘I don’t know whether it’s damaged the reputation of my business or not, we’ve got a pretty good reputation up here,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m just going to take a bit of advice on this, with all the flack I’m getting.’’