Devin Troy Strother
Devin Troy Strother’s practice is rooted in appropriation and abnegation. Strother freely borrows signature moves from other artists, including but not limited to Jasper Johns, Cory Arcangel, and Barnett Newman, many of whom also used appropriation in their art. With his brazen cribbing, Strother posits that originality is perhaps artificially constructed by both market and social contract. So when does appropriation (or derivativeness) become distinct? Strother’s answer seems to be that since Black culture gets relentlessly appropriated by mainstream music, fashion, and language, the tables should get turned on the art world’s endless demand for “innovation.”
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