As children, we have all scribbled crayons onto paper for our family to hang on the fridge as “art.” Most of us wouldn’t want to see that in an art museum, though. For society to define a certain piece as “art,” it will often be held to a certain standard beyond –like how kids often do –the creator labeling it as such. Where is the line between “real art” and a child’s crayon blob whose artist insists is a “cat?”
Other pieces are seen as unethical, like Ivanka Vacuuming by Jennifer Rubell, which depicts Ivanka Trump in a seemingly derogatory manner. Among all the opinions, from college classes to Reddit feeds, where will a line be drawn? Do we only start to complain miles past the boundary, if there even is one? Here are three pieces that put these questions into perspective.
Ivanka Vacuuming – Jennifer Rubell
This is a controversial piece of a model resembling Ivanka Trump vacuuming breadcrumbs viewers throw onto the carpet. It was perceived to be a nasty jab at Ivanka Trump and women in general. It is understood as a critique of how modern society hasn’t been effectively productive in liberating gender roles.
Does the ambiguity of the piece’s meaning cause more problems to arise than critical thoughts? Art, at its core, often seeks to inspire people to feel or do something, but this definition, in a way, puts limitations on artists. Is there a way to differentiate between an artist’s responsibility and their capacity for artistic freedom?
Comedian – Maurizio Cattelan
Also known as Duck-Taped Banana, stationed at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art. The museum trademarked the piece, which is now worth 120,000 dollars. Fans of the piece might take it as a discussion on world trade or plain humor. However, many others see this kind of art, seemingly without purpose, as invalid due to the lack of intention.
It is clear upon viewing the piece that Cattelan did not have to undergo backbreaking and tireless work to create it. Critics might see the amount of effort it takes to tape a banana up as an exploitation of the correlation between time and validity. What can this say about other pieces that people make quickly – is time a moral way to validate art at all?
Human Spine Bag – Arnold Putra
This bag is made out of a human’s spine and an alligator tongue – both “ethically sourced” according to artist Arnold Putra, who claims that the spine came from a medical surplus in Canada. Many people criticized it for fairly obvious reasons, questioning how parts of a human could be dehumanized into a bag. On the other hand, it can be justified that if the materials were ethically sourced, there should be no issues other than how abstract it is in concept.