Merimask Goes On And On

Photographic prints, in fact many kinds of prints (lithographs, woodblock, more) are similar to this. Is it less art because I, or say Edward Weston who is much more famous than I, run multiple copies of prints from a single negative? Each print may be subtly different, depending on many factors: artist, chemistry, temperature. So too with your masks.

Is it less art (on my part) if I use one of your masks to make a photograph? I'm using art to help establish a particular character, to help tell a specific story.