The Joshua Wattles Interview: IP Attorney + Photographer

Today on the show we have Joshua Wattles, artist, photographer and lawyer for the creative arts! We chat with Joshua about his career in film, music and his creative pursuits alongside all of these. We discuss current issues of privacy and the advent of GDPR, how these new laws translate across the world in different ways and what this means for the global creative community.

Joshua Wattles, IP Attorney + Photographer

The conversation covers the rise of DeviantArt and how it preceded many of the communities and social networks that dominate today’s landscape, setting the standard for a lot of the norms of the modern internet world. Joshua comments on the importance of community, artistic freedom and the role of luck in life of the mammoth platform he helped build. We also hear about the landmark moments in film that Joshua was a part of in his work at Paramount and how he transitioned out of a big film studio into the relatively outsider realm of DeviantArt. For this fascinating conversation be sure to join us today!

Photo by Joshua Wattles

Key Points From This Episode:

•    What is street photography anyway?

•    Privacy, GDPR and the effect on street photography in Germany.

•    The links between privacy concerns in Europe and World War II.

•    Joshua’s hat collection and his favorite bomber jacket.

•    DesignerCon, Secret Walls, dad caps and mom jeans.

•    Joshua’s work at Paramount and how he got his current job at DeviantArt.

•    The invention of the modern movie soundtrack.

•    Joshua’s long and winding road to being a full time art lawyer.

•    Reasons why DeviantArt was and is so successful and influential.

•    Thoughts on how the platform could have promoted itself better.

•    The different worlds of art, exclusivity and cultural exchange across lines.

•    Copyright infringement and how DeviantArt expertly navigated these waters.

•    The sale of the platform and Joshua’s hopes for it for the future.

•    What’s on the horizon for Joshua?

•    And much more!

Photo by Joshua Wattles

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joshua Wattles on IG — https://www.instagram.com/joshuawattles/

Joshua Wattles on DeviantArt — https://www.deviantart.com/makepictures/

Joshua Wattles — https://www.crunchbase.com/person/joshua-s-wattles

DeviantArt — https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/henri-cartier-bresson/

Henri Cartier-Bresson — https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/henri-cartier-bresson/

Ghost in the Machine — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9egO15Jj5Ao

Alexa — https://www.alexa.com/

Siri — https://www.apple.com/siri/

Banksy — http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Basquiat — http://basquiat.com/

Amistad — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amistad

Top Gun — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/top_gun

Secret Walls — https://secretwalls.black/

DesignerCon — https://www.designercon.com/

Paramount — https://www.paramount.com/

Handel — https://www.biography.com/musician/george-handel

Beverly Hills Cop — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086960/

Flash Dance — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085549/

Boomerang — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1039796_boomerang

Boyz II Men — http://www.boyziimen.com/

End of the Road — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc

An Officer and a Gentlemen — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/officer_and_a_gentleman

Footloose — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068242/

Cyndi Lauper — https://cyndilauper.com/

Kevin Bacon — https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000102/

Napster — https://us.napster.com/

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts — https://vlany.org/

SuicideGirls — https://www.suicidegirls.com/

My Little Pony — https://mylittlepony.hasbro.com/worldwide

Shepard Fairy — http://www.artnet.com/artists/shepard-fairey/

Comic-Con — https://www.comic-con.org/

TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/

WIX — https://www.wix.com/

Man One — http://www.manone.com/

Man One on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ManOneArt

Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/

Not Real Art Conference — https://www.notrealartconference.com/

Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartofficial/

Photo by Joshua Wattles