British artist Rob Munday has filed a lawsuit against Chris Levine in the High Court, claiming he is the co-creator of two iconic holographic portraits of Queen Elizabeth II—Equanimity and Lightness of Being (2004). Munday alleges that Levine and his company Sphere 9 violated his moral rights by failing to credit him as a co-author, despite a 2005 agreement recognizing joint authorship. The works, commissioned by the Jersey Heritage Trust and held in London’s National Portrait Gallery, were created using holography technology. Levine denies the claims, calling Munday a "technical subcontractor," and says he will fiercely defend his sole authorship. The case follows a separate 2023 dispute between Levine and the trust over unauthorized copies, which was settled with a statement naming Levine as the sole artist commissioned.
This lawsuit matters because it challenges the attribution and authorship of two of the most widely recognized royal portraits of the 21st century, raising fundamental questions about collaboration in technologically complex art forms like holography. The outcome could set a legal precedent for how moral rights and joint authorship are determined in digital and new media art. It also highlights ongoing tensions between artists and technical collaborators over credit and control, especially when works achieve iconic status and significant commercial value.