Recently, I have been introduced to appropriation as an art technique in several of my art classes. Appropriation is the copying or using of found or readymade images or objects and calling it one’s own work. A clear example of this practice is Andy Warhol’s renditions of Campbell’s Soup cans. Throughout art history, many artists have adopted this method. I’d like to introduce Richard Prince, a contemporary artist, who has a new take on appropriation.
Upon first viewing the piece, I had no knowledge of Prince’s intentions. I saw a fuzzy photograph of a cowboy riding his horse in a desert. I recognized that the clouds descended beyond the horizon line making the photograph look staged and unrealistic. Even with this information, it was difficult to form an opinion about his work. Later, I read an interview in which Prince states, “There’s a delayed density. The only thing that should be immediate is that when you first look atthem you’re not exactly sure what hit you.”
Prince’s words described exactly how I had felt about his photograph. His artwork has opened my mind to the idea that a response does not always have to be immediate. I think I was attracted to it because it is so opposite of my work. As a graphic designer, my work entails quickly appealing to an audience with legible information and specific color palettes. Prince is physically stripping an art piece of design. For Prince as well as for many other artists, appropriation seems to be a method used commonly to criticize mass media. These artists are asking the viewer to slow down and respond to culture more critically. When used in this context, I believe a reproduction can be beneficial for the viewer because it is advocating imaginative thought and creativity.
Richard Prince and Peter Halley, 'Richard Prince interview by Peter Halley',ZG, no. 10 (Spring 1984) 5-6.
