Art & Authenticy

A journey into the American Folk Art Museum is an arduous journey. The security guards are in lock-down mode to make sure everything is in order-the only problem is, nothing is in order with this museum! The exhibit focuses on the element of the distortion and manipulation of everyday objects. Objects are not what they seem and everything is built based on abstraction to create a sense of “the unknown” to each work of art. The first striking example of this quality of work is, coincidentally, the first artwork that is visible upon entry to the floor of the exhibit. This cobra-like snake gives off the false impression that it was created more to resemble some sort of parasite. The body is coiled into multiple layers and its slim physique is hardly characteristic of the image we are accustomed to seeing when it comes to cobras. Who knows what it could be… this is what abstraction is meant to convey. Maybe the snake was on a diet? Another piece of art that featured abstraction were the pair of “self-portraits”. These portraits have been manipulated and distorted such that the faces were horribly disfigured (as if different portions of the faces were in different dimensions). By creating this effect, I was left with the impression that the artist creates a sense of humans being “imperfect” creations and that we all have our flaws in one way or another.