JIMMY KELLER
Special to The Leader
There is an argument that there’s no such thing as an original idea. The reality is that everything original begins with previous ideas, inventions and discoveries. Nothing is 100% original and I think we can all agree on that, but it is still unique in the aspect of creation.
The exact makeup of an idea, writing or artwork may never have been seen before. They are special consequences of the thinker making connections between the known and unknown. The foundation that the past has paved allows the new original ideas to be built and grow. If we take any artist over the course of their career, we can see the progression of their work and even trace it back to what inspired them.
Inspiration shall not be confused with lacking originality. Everything can be inspirational depending how it is looked at. For the purposes of artwork and ideas, that inspiration is selective.
No artist is alike. What inspires me may not inspire the graphic designer next to me or the writer next to them. This is because everyone sees the world through a different lens and that unique lens is what we each must cherish.
New York magazine writer and art critic Jerry Saltz Tweeted in 2020, “Originality is not dead. It is in our DNA.” We ourselves are the definition of originality. This diversity in life means that no output of creativity will be the same if it is genuine. This artwork is an extension of the artist put into sensations as it speaks the thoughts and feelings of the creator.
These stories that each of us hold are the key to originality. Dahn Gim is an artist based in the U.S. and South Korea. She currently has works on display in the Marion Art Gallery from her series “Names I Had You Call Me.” The works are part of the exhibit “Mis/Communication: Language and Power in Contemporary Art,” which is on display at the gallery through April 16.
Gim’s three pieces “Erin,” “Ashley” and “Catherine” are car mufflers, two of which are upholstered in leather and contain audio recording of a woman mimicking the sound of a vehicle. The originality of these pieces are very much needed in the art world today as we are bombarded with artwork we must filter through. These pieces stand out from the others in regards to their in depth personal meaning which is the inception of their originality.
Gim’s work focuses on hybridity and adaptation. More specifically, she fuses her personal story of adapting to Anglo-Saxon English speaking society conflicting with personal and familial identity.
We see stories like this in other featured artwork in the “Mis/Communication” exhibit, such as the works of artists Angelina Joshua and Jake Duczynski, or Clarissa Tossin’s “Vogais Portuguesas/Portuguese Vowels.”
Artists and creatives have sort of a super power to put their thoughts and ideas into meaningful action. It is their duty to harness that ability and share the unique impressions we think of as original.
There is a current young artist appearing in the art headlines lately. Andres Valencia, a 11-year-old boy, sells his paintings for six figures and continues to grow in the new art world. Looking at a post on Facebook, one comment regarding his art was one of the most famous annoying comments in the creative world: “My son could have painted that.”
Oh yeah “Karen,” well he didn’t. It is not always the final piece that is worth six figures, but the story and originality behind it. Nobody has painted the contemporary story of the Russian-Ukrainian War in the style he painted. Through his work, you can also see his inspiration from the past such as Picasso and his current personal interests.
Why does originality matter though? The largest reason is that it creates change in the world. It begins with the past but then adapts it for the future by creating movements and breaking down walls. It sets one artist apart from the other and contributes to career success. In Andres Valencia’s case, his work became popular through his individuality. His superpower that stands apart from the others is his age, content and his story.
With Gim’s work, she brings forward her experiences growing up as an immigrant and how it has shaped her.
In an interview with VoyageLA when “Names I Had You Call Me” first came out in 2018, Gim’s said, “I deliberately use contradictory elements in material, sound and movement to confront the feeling of discomfort, shame and social repression that I once experienced.”
Now, as she tells it through these sculptures, her art travels everywhere from L.A. to Fredonia getting the proper audience because it is original, again through individuality. There is not another artist out there upholstering car mufflers in leather that go “Vroom.” Her professional success is because no artist out there has that same story, the same feelings and same experiences.
It is imperative for an artist to find their unique voice of passion because that is what catapults ideas forward. Originality must first start with a problem to be solved, then followed by a mind and heart that has ambition to solve it. It isn’t as simple as thinking outside the box, but can begin by questioning the past. This all doesn’t just apply to artwork, but creativity and idea originality in all fields from science to philosophy. Originality advocates for change, harnesses individuality and inspires tomorrow. Which leads to the question: What story needs to be told next?