This will be like the SAT’s. In each pair one statement is describing a painting. Decide which one’s the real deal and which one’s swollen as Dolly Parton.
—A picture of Johnny Depp as Captain Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean painted in oil on a store-bought canvas board.—A multiple paneled piece consisting of unpainted, carved, and cut wooden panels and oil paints on heavy-weight, hand-torn paper.
—Exact copies of Mondrian’s formal work accompanied by labels with the copier’s name typed in place.—An 8’ X 3’ digital print of an image created with Photoshop and a digital pen/pad accompanied by a projection of a created video and manipulated sounds also made on the computer.
I know this is hard, kids. Take your time. Then, someday, we’ll even talk about the concept within the conceptual art.
It all harkens back to the old ad campain: “Is it live, or is it Memorex?”
When is it hifi, and when does it begin to be art? Now, after all, we don’t have “musicians,” we have “recording artists.” It was with just a little irony that Run DMC named one ot their songs “Is It Live?”
I think painting can be loosely defined as any two-dimensional medium, albeit one invested with originality, compositional completeness, and some kind of conceptual vision.
The individual utilizing Photoshop had full control over his materials and his image, and he integrated that with a thematic intention. The Mondrian wannabe was, unfortunately, not trying to be ironic.
“Painting” as such is merely a hegemonic intrusion upon the pure Matrix of the canvas.
You can keep all your phallic “brushes” and “pens” and “conte crayons” and avoid all this HIStoric canvas-rape.
Trick question! It is impossible to determine an “imposter” without a context: gallery/museum/artspace, thrift store, or Wal-Mart? There’s no appropriate answer.
As elucidated only 90 years ago by Duchamp, and recently re-stated by such artists as Sherrie Levine, orginality is up for review (like everything else!). If it goes up on the wall, we have to assume any lack of “originality” is a commentary on authorship by the artist.
(A painting at Wal-mart may be assumed to be free of any ironic commentaries on authorship—maybe).
Duchamp, Sean Landers, Levine, Warhol, et. al. have all taught us that art is whatever the artist says it is…but the artist cannot determine whether it is good art.