Copies or Originals?

It was my sorority’s moms weekend this past weekend and one planned event was canvas painting. For this event each mom and daughter was given canvas to paint a replica of a painting in the front of the room. The painting we created was a scene with flowers in a field. An instructor took us through the steps of creating the painting starting with the sky and grass then moving to the flowers. This event made me think about the art of reproduction and our class discussion of imitation and copies. After the event ended I looked around and noticed that no two paintings were the same and many were actually very different. None of the paintings looked quite like the image we were supposed to be copying from. This difference in images is to be expected, because we were not given much time to recreate the painting, many of us were not in the best position to see, and no two people can create the exact same image. A question that we discussed in class is what makes something an original? We worked to create a replication of an image, all of our paintings had our own original characteristics so are our paintings originals or replicas?

-Ericka Marchbanks

Lily Pulitzer Candle

I was sitting down to write this blog post and began to look at the objects around me for inspiration. I noticed my Lily Pulitzer candle sitting on my desk and began to think why I had it there. I have never had candles on display in my room before, but for some reason, when packing for college I felt the need to put this candle in with my stuff. I got the candle as a graduation gift from a friend so I would like to say I kept it for sentimental reasons, but really I didn’t. Yes, looking at the candle reminds me of the girl who gifted it to me. However, she is not someone I think much about or keep in contact with so I cannot claim to have kept the candle because of our friendship. Perhaps I kept it because I like the way it makes my room smell, but this also would be a lie. I cannot describe to you the candle’s scent, because I do not recall what it smells like. I have only used the candle once, so clearly it is not placed on my desk to serve a functional purpose. In fact, I have an air freshener device plugged into the wall so there is no need for a candle as well. The pattern on the candle is pretty, however I have other patterned objects on my desk that do serve functional purposes, so why do I keep this candle that seems to only take up space? What it comes down to is the associations that the brand of candle carries with it. We have explored the theme of fetishism in this class and I think this is a prime example. The value placed on this candle for me has nothing to with the purpose it serves or how much labor went into creating it. In the past I have received candles for gifts and simply left them in their boxes to collect dust or perhaps regifted them to another. But in this instance, I chose to put the candle on display for no other reason than its brand. For some reason, I am not quite sure why, I wanted to be associated with the brand Lily Pulitzer. Perhaps it is due to the way the brand is viewed by those I associate with or the way our culture fetishizes it. It makes me think more deeply about what words or ideas in particular are associated with certain brands and items and why I choose to be associated with those brands.

-Ericka Marchbanks

 

The Red Painting

The other day I was listening to a lecture in my survey to theater class that caused me to think about visual culture. My professor told a story about when he accompanied his wife to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Watson described his wife’s reaction to a painting in the museum. She ooed and ahed at the piece and stared at it for a long time in contemplation. Mr. Watson was perplexed. He looked at the work and only saw red. He displayed the painting on the screen for the class to see, and he was right: the painting was just red. I share Mr. Watson puzzlement as to why this seemingly meaningless, simple painting would be displayed in the MET. Our professor continued to share how he asked his artist friend about the painting and people’s fascination with it. His friend had deep appreciation for the work and explained that the artist, Reinhardt, created this piece while exploring the color red in its various shades and properties. It is interesting to hear where appreciation for visual media comes from and why people like certain art work. After his story, I began to think about how society and myself as an individual assigns worth or value to art. Which pieces capture my attention and seem deserving of exploration? What art gets to be displayed in the most prestigious museums? Factors to consider seem to be who created it, the subject matter, its appeal to the senses, and the background or context under which it was created.

-Ericka Marchbanks

My Other Bag

 

 

My Other Bag is a company that creates eco-friendly, reusable tote bags. On the front of each tote an image of a name brand handbag is featured. The idea behind this concept is that all women would love to carry designer bags in their everyday life, however designer bags are not well suited for things like groceries or trips to the beach. My Other Bag design implies that our society will recognize the picture of the designer bag based on the pattern, despite the fact that the logo is changed. It is interesting that our minds are trained to recognizes certain patterns with certain brands even when the logo is absent or altered. This product also implicates that all women desire designer bags. We should question why people in our society prefer a designer bag to a knock off or lesser-known brand? Do they believe it truly looks more appealing or is it simply due to a label? This thinking can be applied to famous paintings and works of art as well. Is it the prestige of the artist that determines the value of the work or the actual work itself? How does a brand or artist become so well known that we blindly trust the value of their products and no longer need them to be visually appealing?

-Ericka Marchbanks