Richard Prince

"I never associated advertisements with having an author.'' After reading this quote by Richard Prince, although I don't necessarily agree with it, I think I now understand his work better. Although as pointed out in the article that often "there's not a pixel, there's not a grain that's different," it's less about the photograph itself & more about the concept behind it. The Marlboro man has always stood for the white American dream& that's what Marlboro has been using to sell its cigarettes. Artists like RichardPrince who "appropriate" the work of others focus on the concept rather than "making" a piece. I think its easy to dismiss this kind of work because we have been taught that originality is key but I think there is something original about artists taking another's work and making it their own. For me personally, I probably would not be happy if someone "appropriated" my work & made hundred of thousands of dollars off of it & I know many others who wouldn't be either. Like Mr. Kantz said, I think there should be some recognition to the original "author" (whether you believe them to be or not). But I don't think we should limit artists to those who "create" their own art meaning are the original authors of the piece.