"Imitation of Art: John Currin's sleight of hand" by Lance Esplund, 2004

John Currin, Standing Nude, 1993

In this article, Esplund discusses the copying of other painter's work, specifically as this practice is employed by John Currin.  Esplund disagrees with many critics' glowing admiration of Currin, those who cite him as a modern day master.  He believes Currin's art is only similar to the old masters on a superficial level and that Currin just picks and chooses styles of painting or subject matter at random, employing each on a whim.  He borrows from painters but does not create a cohesive, intelligent work through his borrowings.  Often characterized by distorted figures, Esplund believes Currin's pieces are flat and lack depth inherent in better artists' work.  Currin uses solid background colors to isolate the figure, whereas old masters would use black (among other colors) as an agent of depth to create many different sensations, ranging anywhere from enveloping to closing off.  Each black would have a different feel to it and would not just be a solid wall.  Esplund believes that critics love Currin's works because they are like a treasure hunt for references to old artists and paintings.  In his closing paragraph, Esplund is particularly blunt in talking about artists he believes are real modern masters: "The mission of these artists is to paint, not to titillate and entertain; to engage with the poetic, universal language of painting instead of the fashionable chatter of a fickle art world.  And, as such, their works, along with the tradition of painting, will endure" (91).