Art Ukraine Gallery presents a unique project by the famous Ukrainian artist Vinnie Reunov, titled “Better Than Original”. The exhibition presents the interpretations of Reunov created on the base of the work of impressionists and magazine covers. According to Reunov, “Better Than Original” is an artistically functional innovation, the meaning of which goes far beyond the limits of the author’s artistic creativity. Through the use of perceptual methods of conceptual art, and the articulation of the ambivalent significance of the technical reproduction of a work of art, there has emerged a new style of socially significant art aligning with contemporary culture.
This unique method of quality “reproduction” draws in the elitist exclusivity of the artistic market- the “signature of the author” being themes of expanded consumption that can be compared to music or literature, says Reunov.
Better Than Original
Formally, the exhibition consists of “originals” which serve as templates, as well as prints- new and unique interpretations of the painter, which together produce the ideal final work of art.
Vinnie Reunov declares the replication process to be not technical or auxiliary, but an artistic act. This reproduction is significant of not only material, but also cultural value, and is the showpiece of the exhibition.
Reunov is the “ambassador of the future in the present”, posing the question before spectators, what is valuable in a society where everything can be legally reproduced to “zero?” For instance, the bright, inflatable sculptures created by Jeff Koons are nothing but an enlarged copy of an inflatable balloon. Reunov’s permanent muse, the Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, rightfully occupies a distinct section of Reunov’s work among many other characters. Famous actors, music legendries of the world industry, Ukrainian politicians, businessmen and celebrities appear as one in the author’s plots. What is it? The replication and distortion of reality, or a cultural setting aimed at understanding the unity of the universe? Here, viewers may discover their own personal message.
