Via CBS4 in Denver: ‘Original’ Churchill Art Piece Creates Controversy

An exclusive report by CBS4 News indicates embattled University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill may have broken copyright law by making a mirror image of an artist’s work and selling it as his own.

Placing Churchill’s work beside that of renowned artist Thomas E. Mails and the two look like mirror images. But one is a copyrighted drawing. The other is an autographed print by Churchill.

[…]

Churchill made the serigraph in question in 1981 and called it “Winter Attack.” He printed 150 copies and sold one of them to Duke Prentup for about $100.

“I have enjoyed them ever since, immensely,” Prentup said. “They’re, obviously, up in my house.”

But last month came a stunning revelation. As Prentup flipped through a book of illustrations by renowned artist Thomas E. Mails, he found an artwork of striking similarity.

“And I opened it up and, wham! There it was,” Prentup said. “It’s the exact same thing, only mirror image, virtually to every detail.”

The pen and ink sketch by Thomas Mails first appeared in his 1972 masterpiece, “The Mystic Warriors of the Plains.”

Compare it side-by-side to the serigraph by Churchill, created some 20 years later: the composition, the images, the placement are nearly identical.

Intellectual property attorney Jim Hubbell said it’s clearly no accident.

The CBS4 site has the pics.

Michelle Malkin has even more.

The fellow is nothing more than a con man. This kind of activity calls into question whether he even believes the tripe he has been spouting, as it becomes increasingly obvious he is just out for fame and fortune. Being a “radical” academic and a “Native American Activist” both appear to be part of his con.

Remarkable. The folks at CU must be so proud.

Thanks to PrestoPundit for the e-mail tip.