Authenticity

Since the advent of Photoshop the question of authenticity has been a hot topic. As we discussed in class on Monday, support is growing for legislation that would make advertisers post notices on ads that have been photoshopped. Photoshop has blurred the line between authentic and inauthentic and such legislation seeks to clarify the boundary.

In keeping with the theme of authenticity, I found an interesting article on nymag.com today regarding a marble sculpture named "Young Archer." The statue, which will be on display in the Met beginning November 3rd, is the subject of much controversy in the curatorial world. As the article explains, the statue was declared by NYU's own Kathleen Weil-Garris as an official work of Michelangelo, but many other scholars question the works' origin.

Upon reading this article I was immediately reminded of the first chapter from Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink," in which he chronicles the quest to authenticate (or not) a kouros statue in the J. Paul Getty Museum.

In a world where reproductions can be produced with minimal effort and at incredible volume, it seems we value the authenticity of a work more than the creative effort behind the work. The lengths to which people go in order to prove the validity of a painting, sculpture, or an ad are extensive - it can take years of research and investigation to prove if a statue or painting is real. In todays world, imitation is not the highest form of flattery.

http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/60279/