This month our Summer Session is about celebrity, and today we bring you an article by Claire Voon from our friends at Hyperallergic. Voon updates us on artist Orlan’s ongoing lawsuit with Lady Gaga, whom she claims has plagiarized her “theme and aesthetics,” in addition to several of her specific works, in order to generate publicity for her pop career. This article was first published on January 8, 2016.

Left: Orlan. Bump Load, 2009; mixed media; 170 x 100 x 200 cm. via orlan.eu. Right: Cover image for Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way.

Two years ago, French artist Orlan sued pop star Lady Gaga in French court for plagiarism over the singer’s cover art for her 2011 album Born this Way and the eponymous, award-winning music video. Now, Orlan is taking the case to New York City, seeking testimony from members of Lady Gaga’s creative team, over whom French courts do not have jurisdiction.

On Wednesday, lawyers representing Orlan filed documents—all publicly available—seeking subpoenas for fashion director Nicola Formichetti and makeup artist Billy Brasfield. The documents order the pair, both responsible for the visuals associated with the album, to appear at a district court on February 12. Known for undergoing multiple sessions of plastic surgery in the name of art, Orlan is claiming that Gaga ripped off two specific pieces, echoing the same alien-like aesthetic the French artist supposedly controls.

“In order to promote her album, Lady Gaga did not hesitate to plagiarize the entire ORLAN universe,” one document reads. “Indeed, the singer ‘Lady Gaga’ not only did not hesitate to copy ORLAN’s theme and aesthetics, but she also infringed upon several of the artist’s famous works without permission to do so.”

Read the entire article here.