Art poses the question, ‘what does it mean to be truly authentic?’. The dictionary definition of authentic is ‘of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine’ (Oxford Dictionary). But can entirely genuine work ever be achieved?

Artists and designers all take inspiration from one another’s work. Surely, this means the artist that ‘copied’ isn’t truly authentic as it isn’t entirely their idea. But this is seen all the time with copyright issues appearing in order for one to have themselves and their work seen as authentic. Designers are influenced by art movements too. Modernism is still present in today’s society and contemporary practice. This makes it harder for designers to be truly original when they are trying to follow the current trends.

As an aspiring graphic designer, Pentagram partner, Michael Bierut’s words resonate with me – ‘No one loves authenticity like a graphic designer’ (Bierut, 2005). If a graphic designer creates a logo or a poster, whatever the product may be, no designer wants to see their work copied after all the time spent designing it.

However, even the best designers take inspiration from somewhere; signs on the street or art galleries. Everyone sees work and wonders if they could incorporate it into their own. Fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto said ‘Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself’ (Yamamoto, 2011). This is true as the more you try different things and work out what you like and dislike, the more your individual style emerges.