23.9.11

Theory Diary: Originality & Appropriation

An artist can exercise creativity by acknowledging what ought to be reiterated.

Nothing I do will be original in the sense of brand new. But it will be original in the context of time and space. Striving to be original is not a priority.

Appropriation is a skill for me to be mindful of. I am using images out of 9th century insular illuminated manuscripts, and I pick and choose which pieces to appropriate and which to create out of more contemporary influences. It's important to study those pieces to understand how why I choose them, and how their significance will change within the new context I place them. I've ordered a book on iconography in The Book of Kells which I hope will help.

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