I don’t believe that is possible to be truly authentic. All artists and artwork are influenced by something external, whether that be the world around us, other artworks, or previous art styles. Every art movement was influenced by the one before it, for example impressionism was a response to the advancements in camera technology. When you use reference images, life models, or an influence from a external source, that’s not being authentic, because it already exists. Therefore it’s almost impossible to be completely original, without inventing a new medium to work in. It is essential that we copy other artists work to develop our skills and learn different techniques and processes. It’s part of the learning process. Especially in art education, it is hammered in that critiquing and sharing our work with each other is essential, so ideas can sometimes bounce off each other and subconsciously we are influenced by the same things. Especially with the internet and television, we are constantly surrounded by art and design it’s hard for that to not impact our own work.

I think the principles of modernism do hold value in contemporary practice. The rejection of traditional methods and principles are very evident in art today, and an essential feature for contemporary art is the fascination with which its artists uses the modern technology. In art today everyone is trying to be original and create something new, which is a very modernistic view.

Arts Interface 2015, General Characteristics of Contemporary Art, Accessed 4 December 2017, <http://artsinterface.org/general-characteristics-of-contemporary-art/>