“The problem with art is, it’s not like the game of golf where you put the ball in the hole. There’s no umpire; there’s no judge. There are no rules. It’s one of its problems. But it’s also one of the great things about art. It becomes a question of what lasts.” — Richard Prince
Richard Prince Entertainers 1982-83 Chromogenic print 61 ½ × 46 1/2” MoMA collections
Ian Burn began investigating the act of looking in the mid 1960s. In this work, text across a standard framed mirror quotes from the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume. The original quote continues, ‘if we consider these objects in themselves, and never look beyond the ideas which we form of them’.
The viewer is asked to consider this specific work of art without considering his or her accumulated knowledge and assumptions about either ‘mirrors’ or ‘works of art’ (or the person ‘in’ the mirror). The impossibility of isolating any one thing from all others is emphasised in this conceptual artwork by our reflection in the mirror and that of the space in which it hangs and other art nearby.
Ian Burn Two glass/Mirror piece 1968 mirror, glass, wood 93.7 × 63.2 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
FYI: I love sharing my favorite artists not just for inspiration but also to educate about their creative processes and thoughts. It’s fascinating to see how some artists still believe that only realism qualifies as fine art, overlooking other forms. I wonder what kind of art history they’re being taught in their school.
“Anyhow, the older I get, the less impressed I become with originality. These days, I’m far more moved by authenticity. Attempts at originality can often feel forced and precious, but authenticity has quiet resonance that never fails to stir me.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
