2020 (21) Tokyo Olympics

Created 1 August 2021 from photographs of the images on a Manga® Sake Junmai bottle and an attached label on a Haku® Vodka bottle to celebrate the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being held this year. Consequently, the young woman in the image has “2020” face paint under her right eye and the young man has “2021” face paint under his left eye. The “Tokyo” label was modified to include the Olympic logo, Japanese characters for Tokyo, and the five Olympic rings. The “0” in 2020 and 2021 are a solid red circle to resemble the Japanese flag on a white background. The latter year is included since the 2020 Olympics had been delayed a year because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. To further resemble the Japanese flag, all images are in black and white with the exception of red.

As I watch the Olympics, to make it a more immersive experience I’ve tried a variety of Japanese drinks. :) Finally, to conclude, I wrote the following Haiku verses:

Through Olympic Sport,
All the world makes a bold stand –
COVID will not win!

Consequently the Samurai sword in the image on the right represents Humanity's final victory over the COVID-19 pandemic for ultimately we will WIN!

May everyone stay safe and the sports competition bring out the best in all the participants and the world community – borders and everything aside, we are one – ONE HUMAN race.

Note: None of the images in this collage are being used for trademark purposes and thus per U.S. copyright law its creation through digital editing and display is legally acceptable

Update: The 2nd Circuit Court Decision, 26 March 2021 Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, No. 19-2420- CV, 2021 WL 1148826 narrowed the “fair use” doctrine for appropriation works of art such that his “Prince” silk screens are no longer considered original works as a lower court had ruled.

This decision doesn’t prohibit all appropriation art. For example in 2020 (21) Tokyo Olympics satisfies 17 U.S.C. § 107(4) that focuses on “the effect of use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work,” the basis for the decision in Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith (2021) since the collage created from the Sake bottle meets the criteria of establishing “a new distinct artistic purpose and be reasonably perceived as having a new meaning or message separate from the borrowed work a new distinct artistic purpose and be reasonably perceived as having a new meaning or message separate from the borrowed work.” This collage doesn’t compete with sales of the Sake, impact such sales or convey the original meaning and purpose of Manga®'s depiction. Instead as a distinct 2D collage from the 3D bottle (inset), its new purpose and meaning is to solely celebrate the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being held these two weeks.