Design Similarities That Will Have you Seeing Double

It is often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. However, there is considerable argument about who first said it.

In this post modern era, it has been well argued that everything worth doing has probably already been done. And as anyone who has raided their grandparents' wardrobe for vintage classics will tell you, fashion and design are cyclical. Despite all this, as a culture we still value and believe in authenticity, innovation and originality. And we support the rights of artists and designers to sue the pants of anyone who wittingly rips their ideas off.

But what if you unwittingly rip some off yourself? What if, by chance, two artists independently come up with the very same idea? Is that impossible? And where do you draw the line between being influenced by someone and blatantly copying their ideas? Where does referencing end and plagiarism begin? These are the questions which occupy retired professor of Graphic Design Bob Caruther, and are the theme behind his flickr page entitled, Similarities.

In this extensive collection, Caruther pairs up two or more similar images without making either comment or judgement. In many pairs the similarities were well-intentioned, as for example in Rufus Wainwright's homage to Judy Garland and The Clash's homage to Elvis Presley. However, in other examples, intentions are not quite as clear, leaving the viewer to contemplate whether the later image is a coincidence, proof of an artistic collective unconsciousness, or grounds for a lawsuit. We'll let you decide.