All art is finite. There are only so many words, and so many ways they may be arranged. There are only so many colors and so many ways discernable points of them may be distributed. There are only so many sounds, and manners in which they may be combined. There are only so many ways the human body may move.
Because of this all an artist truely has is their time in space. The events that are currently happening, the environment changes, and so the expressions which take place in it change their relevance. The artist should then revel in their time as much as their ability, it is what makes them truely unique.
And because of this sampling, the combining of different works of art, is almost absolutely necessary for the existence of art. Sampling occurs on the subconcious, intended, and unkown levels. Sampling should not be restrained by copyright issues. Copyright is the killer of creativity. The only time an artist owns their work is when they are actually creating it, once that has happened it is owned by any who choose to experience it. Sampling should be extended to other arts, poetry would be wonderfull sampled, theater, ultimately the inability to create new art should allow masterpieces of old to find new life sampled into the environment in which the artist currently exists.