ARTiculation: The Factory behind the artwork
The Factory buzzed with people performing
many tasks. Each one had a job carefully
planned out for them, and they all came together
to create a product: a shiny, beautiful, flawless
piece of work.
On the top floor of The Factory stood a man, overlooking the assembly line from his perch. The boss. Some assistants were chasing chickens around the massive, open space. In another corner, there were five men silk-screening canvas after canvas. Another: stirring a huge vat of paint. Andy Warhol adjusted his glasses, nodded in approval, and went to have a coffee.
Years later, Jeff Koons, a prominent artist who still creates work today, stands in a similar position: above his assistants. Each one has a brush, and a job. Koons developed a “paint-by-number” method where he thinks of an idea for a painting, lays it out, and then lets his hundreds of assistants make a stroke and pass the canvas to the right. It ends up looking like one person has created it. Do Warhol and Koons' methods take away from the authenticity of the artwork? Absolutely. And that is exactly the point.
Mass-producing art the way Hasbro makes toys is a controversial practice and very touchy subject in the North American art scene. These two men — the most prominent who have created in this manner — have faced both large acclaim and harsh criticism for their innovation. The social commentary is blatant: when it comes to the capitalistic system, nothing is off limits. It creeps in like rapid-growing moss and blankets an industry, allowing barely any breathing room for authenticity. Some time ago now, it was a radical idea that companies would take something as sacred as living creature's lives in a careless, unnecessary manner. And now, cows are slaughtered by the tens of thousands every day and run through a machine like it were a sweater. And barely anyone bats an eye. Art is still viewed by our culture as something sacred, a rare commodity to be cherished that had thus far been untouched by society's greedy ways. By it being mass-produced, it devalues the authenticity and becomes banal. The artists who create this way are undoubtedly effective in making their point clear. Nothing is out of Capitalism's reach.
Digital art is growing in popularity, and it's raising similar questions. Nearly anyone can get their hands on a computer, hold the mouse down, and paint. There are numerous programs for making your creations look professional, and none of them require anything other than some primary hand-eye coordination and a manual to navigate. You sit in front of a screen with an idea, and let your army of thousands of tools — available with one quick click — do the work. You look at the screen, and watch your vision appear. Worhol and Koons may have pioneered a radical ideal, but now we all have the power to mass-produce at our fingertips. Time will tell how we decide to use it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
On the top floor of The Factory stood a man, overlooking the assembly line from his perch. The boss. Some assistants were chasing chickens around the massive, open space. In another corner, there were five men silk-screening canvas after canvas. Another: stirring a huge vat of paint. Andy Warhol adjusted his glasses, nodded in approval, and went to have a coffee.
Years later, Jeff Koons, a prominent artist who still creates work today, stands in a similar position: above his assistants. Each one has a brush, and a job. Koons developed a “paint-by-number” method where he thinks of an idea for a painting, lays it out, and then lets his hundreds of assistants make a stroke and pass the canvas to the right. It ends up looking like one person has created it. Do Warhol and Koons' methods take away from the authenticity of the artwork? Absolutely. And that is exactly the point.
Mass-producing art the way Hasbro makes toys is a controversial practice and very touchy subject in the North American art scene. These two men — the most prominent who have created in this manner — have faced both large acclaim and harsh criticism for their innovation. The social commentary is blatant: when it comes to the capitalistic system, nothing is off limits. It creeps in like rapid-growing moss and blankets an industry, allowing barely any breathing room for authenticity. Some time ago now, it was a radical idea that companies would take something as sacred as living creature's lives in a careless, unnecessary manner. And now, cows are slaughtered by the tens of thousands every day and run through a machine like it were a sweater. And barely anyone bats an eye. Art is still viewed by our culture as something sacred, a rare commodity to be cherished that had thus far been untouched by society's greedy ways. By it being mass-produced, it devalues the authenticity and becomes banal. The artists who create this way are undoubtedly effective in making their point clear. Nothing is out of Capitalism's reach.
Digital art is growing in popularity, and it's raising similar questions. Nearly anyone can get their hands on a computer, hold the mouse down, and paint. There are numerous programs for making your creations look professional, and none of them require anything other than some primary hand-eye coordination and a manual to navigate. You sit in front of a screen with an idea, and let your army of thousands of tools — available with one quick click — do the work. You look at the screen, and watch your vision appear. Worhol and Koons may have pioneered a radical ideal, but now we all have the power to mass-produce at our fingertips. Time will tell how we decide to use it.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
