For a first-time photomanipulation, I must say that it came out better than I expected. After a few filters and many, many edits, the product looks halfway decent. The lighting matches, the character looks familiar enough, and the overall composition teeters on the edge of surrealism, which may suit what the public considers modern art. The technical details, however, are less interesting compared to the conceptual ones.

Critique

I say I have matched my expected outcome, if only because I set my sights within tangible reach. Commissioned art, with an established customer base, guarantees money—and the Touhou subculture guarantees the character base for that money. Even outside of the subculture, it’s possible for other cultures to pick up the work and interpret it as art for more financial gain.

I might argue that such a means of producing art is subversive to both fine art and street art. Consider:

• Both art forms require reception of the piece to an audience. We consider street art ‘art’ as the artist sends a message to the public. In contrast, my approach leaves nothing to interpretation. Can we still call such a concrete composition art? If not, its message might be arguing against the nature of art itself.

• The approach of my composition defies other art forms in that it completely monetizes art. For most works, the value in art is what people make of it. In contrast, in commissioned art, the value of the art is precursor to its creation. The action of producing art creates the value. This is another method of subverting art consumerism.

Reflection

The dichotomy of culture vs. counterculture, provocation vs. conformity, and fine art vs. modern art is that of irony.

• As mentioned in the assignment’s document, subversive countercultures become established culture on its own, and trying to follow the counterculture means following its trends and conforming to it. What might be considered subversive now is a return to classical art styles.

• Is art truly provocative if the artist is assigned to be provocative, or would defying provocativeness be provocative in itself? As I lean toward less audacious actions, I also lean toward the latter argument, yet that would be provocative, yet that would not be provocative.

• Banksy’s pieces were made for the public, but now they are sought after and privatized. What was once a protest against traditional displays of art is now twisted back into tradition.

In essence, matching the trend for either counterculture or conventional culture contributes is no longer provocative. I see that the only room for an artist to be provocative is to take a third option—that is, to neither follow traditional culture nor counterculture, but some offshoot subculture that is not recognized by both the straight man nor the subversive man.

Images Used

• Woman

• Rocks

• Wings

• Eye

• Bow

• Skirt

• Blouse

• Sky

• Cave

• Metal texture

• Sun texture