Is it possible to be truly authentic?

The Oxford definition of authentic is; of undisputed origin, not a copy. I believe that it is difficult to be considered as truly authentic. As creatives, we constantly draw inspiration from our peers and other sources and use this to develop our work further-it is not copying; however, it is using others work as motivation to produce stronger, more developed work. This use of inspiration and referencing can only go so far before it pushes upon the boundary of being a recycled replica.

‘It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.’ – Jean-Luc Godard. Since we have been exposed to so much influential artwork I feel that there is a thin line between being honestly authentic and dishonestly authentic, bordering on plagiarism. Which is why, as creatives, we must be careful when drawing inspiration from others work to not use it as a foundation to replicate, but use it as a resource to help inspire our work further.

Modernism was branded as being a deliberate rejection of the past, sparking an interest in new, experimental materials and painting styles. I believe some of the values of Modernism relate to current contemporary practice, artists today are still using aspects of this movement to inspire their works in a genuinely original way.

Oxford Dictionary, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/authentic

‘It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.’ – Jean-Luc Godard        https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/179794.Jean_Luc_Godard