-KIANA ALZATE-
The reading really made me question the love affair between originality and uniqueness and whether or not the two would finally marry. Ok. I know this sounds a bit exaggerated and strangely personified, but the following will hopefully explain this.

In junior high, the 7th and 8th grade classes voted for one boy and one girl to be nominated Best Eyes, Most Fashionable, Most likely to be President, Most likely to be Famous, Class Clown, and last but not least, "Most Original." What the hell is that? Anyways, my friend Sunee (pronounced sunny), was nominated and won for Most Original girl. I thought it was funny because she wore very similar clothing, had a Dickies backpack (one of the more popular backpacks besides JanSport or a sidebag thing), and was friends with a lot of people, but hung out with a more alternative crowd if that's anything to cast her off from the non-originals. My point is, I didn't understand how she was more original than anyone else, but thinking about it in retrospect, she's a great living example of the readings argument on originality. 

She always was cutting and dying her hair and wearing interesting spins on clothing that everyone else had (she must have redesigned simple pieces), and whenever she spoke or wrote something or drew something for a class or in passing conversation, she always offered and interesting and challenging perspective. 

Alright so I'm blabbing and people aren't art. I get that. But the way she expressed herself, in both art class, english and in life, was unique and original, because she was just a great mixture of herself, what she knew and understood, as well as her surrounding environment, which is a huge influence on how someone sees something the way they do. 

So as bullshit as those nominations are, I guess I can settle for it for this case, and to explain my understanding of originality through the latter example, however trying to explain or define original art and originality remind me of explaining what art is at all. But then again I still have a lot to learn. Hope this makes some sense.

This painting is by Eva Han, I guess a new artist, and I think that this looks like something I've seen before, but it has a nice spin on it, where I find something interesting in it even though it seems familiar. 

THe other image I HAD to post because it's hilarious. ENJOY!