Forgery and Fakes
In order to judge a work of art it is important to understand its time or period, the artist, and his or her intent, or is it? In fact, some critics argue that in order to assign a work of art some sort of aesthetic value, it must be genuine. William Shakespeare once wrote that a rose by any other name would still smell just as sweet, but why in the world would this sentiment not be true for a work of art? In this essay I will discuss what a forgery is, can we really consider it true art, and why are fakes and forgeries so accepted among other art forms? In, "What Is Wrong With A Forgery?" by Alfred Lessing, Lessing tells us, "that the term forgery can be defined only in reference to a contrasting phenomenon which must somehow include the notion of genuineness or authenticity." Webster's dictionary defines a forgery as, the crime of falsely and fraudulently making or altering a document. So, is forgery a crime? Well, that still depends on who you ask. Most critics view forgery as a, "negation of aesthetic value." I persona
If we are to purely judge a work of art by its aesthetic value, then its authenticity is irrelevant. The line drawn between fake and authentic is very clear when it comes to art, but is that very line just as clear to figure out when we talk about other forms of art, such as performing arts, fashion, and music? Let's consider a fake copy of Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa, a knock-off of a Louis Vuitton handbag, and a made-for-television version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Take van Meegeren for instance, who used a more psychological approach at forgery and figured that once his painting had been not only admired, but also accepted, would he then confess his doings and force the critics to bite their words. Although it takes these two elements, they are not inseparable. With that in mind, can we consider a forgery or fake a true work of art? Lessing argues that, historically. Out of the three the one that would strike up the most controversy would be the Mona Lisa, but why? According to Lessing, originality and technique are two elements of all art; however performing art requires more technique, than originality, while a work of art requires more originality, than technique. Although it might not seem moral for an artist to steal another artist work and portray it as their own, this certainly should not discredit the work or technique used. If this is true, we are saying those artists are simple, uncreative people and again, discrediting their artistic measures. This sort of intensity is just what aesthetic value is all about. Artists are creative souls who thrive on the past, present, and future. We as critics should be more concerned with quality and making art available to the masses, rather than just authenticity, which is often reserved for the minority. most fakes and forgeries have not been legal forgeries, but simple mistakes, misunderstandings about a given work of art or purely economic. Visual artists, performing artists, fashion designers, and musicians all offer a more vivid and liberating view of our culture. Just because their way of honoring the past may be different from another person is certainly no reason to label that person a forger or fake. lly think by discrediting a work of art simply because it is forgery, is rather ludicrous.
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Acceptance Essays
