AMEN: APPROPRIATION RESEARCH

I wanted to research appropriation further to examine how far appropriation can go and the artist appropriating it still be recognised as the creator or author. I also wanted to look into the ethical issues surrounding it and the types of appropriation based work out there.

One interesting piece I read was Lisa Jones entitled Appropriation and Derogation. Jones draws a distinction between appropriation and what she calls "Appropriation Art". She states "The term "appropriation art" is the name for a genre of primarily visual contemporary art, which came into currency in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly with reference to the artists Sherrie Levine and Jeff Koons." I like this distinction and feel I would be much happier operating in the realm of "appropriation" rather than "Appropriation Art".I want to use elements but change them in some way and incorporate them into my work not directly lift hem. This could be combining them with other elements, stylistically changing or altering them to create new and alternative meanings.

Looking at Sherrie Levine's work she used paintings by Monet and the depression era photographs by Walker Evans. The latter she simply re-photographed and presented as her own (see above comparisons). There is obviously questionable morals here and this is an area that does not sit well with my morale compass.

Jeff Koons regularly plunders "appropriates" from popular culture adverts, postcards or promotional materials. A good example of this is Moses where Koons simply frames an Nike advertisement and claims it as his own. Again my feelings towards this are similar to the work of Levine. is it an artist trading on his name to make a statement and a bit Emperors new clothes? Does it get us to re-evaluate work and re-contextualise it in a galley environment?

The term "appropriation" started in the 60's possibly starting with Pop Art but it's roots are much earlier in the start of the start of the 20th century. In  the collage works of Picasso and Braques and the readymade works of Duschamp and his famous urinal as a sculpture and appropriation of Mona Lisa called L.H.O.O.Q. In the mid 20th century the baton was picked up by the appropriation of art objects by the post-modern, post-expressionistic artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Then the aforementioned Pop Art movement and the works of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, whose populist work has in turn been reproduced by others creating a seemingly continual vortex or spiral of appropriation.

In the late 20th and early 21st century appropriation must of course include sampling of records of which their have been huge debates, law-suits and questions about usage. So my piece will be one in a long line drawing upon this concept. As well as appropriating shining a spotlight on it from the creative artistic end it also looks at the darker end of the original artist not always being credited and receiving the money, recognition and acclaim they deserve. As I have mentioned before I love the irony of the appropriated (GC Coleman) being recognised by appropriating the the work (music videos/songs) of the appropriators (the artists and bands). I have even considered not actually creating any original assets for my piece and appropriating everything music, files, visuals, action footage, video and film from online therefore making it uber-appropriation!