Authenticity

Just as with the previous segment on narrative, I feel that the author of our text presented a less conceptual picture of authenticity and its role in art than I might have done.  In doing so, I feel that he may have missed some key points.  I hope it's ok to critically analyze and refute our text, even though, overall, I think it's an awesome book.  I'm going to go ahead and assume all is fair in learning and art.  To begin with, I think the author misinterprets Piero Manzonis work in asserting that one of the major themes in Tin Cans is authenticity.  On the contrary, I would say this work deals much more with ideas of humor, irony, and sarcasm.  The artist is thumbing his nose at the art establishment and the elitist old crones who are willing to buy anything deemed "important art", regardless of the outrageous cost and questionable content.  The artist is not really asking us whether or not we believe there is actually feces inside those cans.  It doesn't really matter.  Rather, he is saying "Hey, I'm an artist.  An artist! Does that mean my shit is worth it's weight in gold?"  It's a joke on many levels; a pun as well as a jab at the attitudes of people, both artists and collectors, who take themselves a bit too seriously.

In terms of my own work and the ideals that I would like to encourage in my students, I value authenticity and honesty even over originality.  Art is not merely an endless pursuit of trying to do something that has never been done before, but an attempt to articulate something genuine and meaningful in an intuitive way.  I am working to be more honest and authentic in my own work by trusting my instincts and making work I really care about.