Jeff Koons and Richard Prince: Echoes of Postmodernism – Theft, Plagiarism, or Inspiration?
August 9th, 2024
In contemporary art, the boundary between originality and plagiarism is incredibly blurred. Legal battles, claims by authors, and various unpleasant news about plagiarism are constant companions of the careers of two commercially successful artists – Koons and Prince.
Their works present crucial questions about what constitutes originality and how we understand copyright in art. Nowadays, when the lines between borrowing and creating something new are becoming increasingly blurred, the practices of Koons and Prince continue to spark numerous debates and discussions.
It’s important to consider not only legal norms but also the cultural context and approaches to creating art. Sometimes what is labeled as ✨reinterpretation✨ is actually a repetition of someone else’s work.
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Their works present crucial questions about what constitutes originality and how we understand copyright in art. Nowadays, when the lines between borrowing and creating something new are becoming increasingly blurred, the practices of Koons and Prince continue to spark numerous debates and discussions.
It’s important to consider not only legal norms but also the cultural context and approaches to creating art. Sometimes what is labeled as ✨reinterpretation✨ is actually a repetition of someone else’s work.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Russian collage: from Picasso’s devotees to originality
JUNE 6th, 2024
Collage holds a special place in the history of 20th century art. It is one of those phenomena that seem to remain passively on the sidelines, yet contribute to the creation of major trends in culture. It is believed that collage appeared in art in 1912, when Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso began experimenting with it in search of new means of expression. In Europe, the technique was taken up and used with relish by many representatives of Futurism, Cubism, Nouveau Realism, Dadaism and, in the USA, Pop Art. Collage has always developed separately, within different artistic movements.
In Russia, collage has always had its own isolated way, which has seen the trials of war and Soviet propaganda, the grip of ideology, the difficult recovery in the 90s and the blossoming of advertising in the 21st century. We have selected the most significant artists in the history of Russian collage who have influenced its development.
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Sergey Parajanov
- Portrait
- Mise-en-scene for the film ‘Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors’
- Collage ‘I Sold the Dacha’, 1985
Hotel where Oscar Wilde died
december 18th, 2023
Hôtel d'Alsace (nowadays - L'Hotel), 13 Rue des Beaux Arts.
Upon returning to Paris in the late summer of 1900, Wilde continued to indulge in heavy drinking, despite the generosity of his friends. He consistently found himself in financial tight spots but managed to sustain his extravagant lifestyle. His unhealthy habits not only took a toll on his well-being but also earned him a reputation as a freeloader.
Jean Dupoirier, the owner of Hotel Alsace and a friend of Oscar, witnessed Wilde's demise in his hotel room. According to Dupoirier, Wilde consumed a liter of brandy daily at the hotel, not including the additional alcohol he consumed elsewhere, such as absinthe or wine.
Wilde frequented a café almost daily, except when financial difficulties kept him at home. In August 1900, during a dinner with his friend Douglas in Paris, Wilde hinted at his declining health, expressing doubt about living to see the next century. He mentioned, "Somehow it seems to me that I shall not live to see another century. If another century begins and I am still alive, the English will not bear it." Unfortunately, Douglas never saw Wilde again after that meeting.
At the time of his decline, Wilde was living on credit at the modest yet respectable Hotel d'Alsace on Rue des Beaux Arts, courtesy of the hotelier. This hotel was situated in a small street parallel to the Left Bank of the Seine, near Rue Bonaparte. It was in this hotel that Wilde succumbed to complications from otitis media.
Why Irish culture is one of my research interests
October 18th, 2023
"The Death of the Queen" by Richard Thomas moynan (1902)
I'm often asked this question. Well, it all started back in 2018, during my second undergraduate degree in art history in St. Petersburg University of Humanities and Social Sciences. My fellow students and I were told by our professor to choose a research topic on which we would continue to work for years. One requirement: the topic had to be under-researched in the Russian-speaking academic world. I have chose from Aboriginal art, the art of Romanian shepherds, and .... Irish painting of the 19th century.
Many years ago, I was drawn to 19th century Irish painting after seeing a painting called "The Death of the Queen" by Dublin-born artist Richard Thomas Moynan. I loved the colors, the Dubliners, and the story in this painting so much that I started reading about this period in Irish painting history.
So the choice fell on Ireland for several reasons:
I hope that my works, publications, podcast episodes and conference papers on Irish art and culture will be useful for the audience, as a part of the scientific and practical heritage in Russia and abroad.
Many years ago, I was drawn to 19th century Irish painting after seeing a painting called "The Death of the Queen" by Dublin-born artist Richard Thomas Moynan. I loved the colors, the Dubliners, and the story in this painting so much that I started reading about this period in Irish painting history.
So the choice fell on Ireland for several reasons:
- Irish painting of the 19th century had not been studied in Russian language at all before me, and if I was, only superficially.
- I was motivated by the proximity of Ireland (as opposed to Australia to be able to visit libraries, conduct interviews, visit museums and galleries) and the availability of printed sources about Irish art in English here in Europe, where I now live.
- A focus group showed that public interest in Irish art is much higher than interest in Romanian shepherds (sadly! :).
- Ireland itself represents a peculiar phenomenon that attracts attention of researchers. Irish culture is now studied in several aspects such as economic, social, political and of course cultural.
- Ireland in itself is an endless and extraordinarily interesting source to study, analyze, and parse.
I hope that my works, publications, podcast episodes and conference papers on Irish art and culture will be useful for the audience, as a part of the scientific and practical heritage in Russia and abroad.
~
annaznaenok@hotmail.com
For any questions contact me via mail or social media.
