Jean Baudrillard is a 20th century contemporary philosopher who is most known for his work “Simulaca and Simulation.” Baudrillard argues that the media, technology, art, culture, etc. around us are oftentimes only pointing to something that once “was” i.e. they are only representations of things that once existed. These are pointing toward true nature and therefore all the other parts of the modern world are “simulating” reality, hence his term “simulacra.” He argues there is nothing we can do to stop the simulacra, it will always continue to create itself because of human advancement and culture, into what is called the “hyperreality”. However, what we can do is be aware of this phenomenon. If we recognize that we are living and contributing to the hyperreality, we can more accurately bring ourselves to our own human roots and our own integrity.
My artwork seeks to create an essence of the simulacra and argue the message that we ought to seek to discover the real versus the fake, the truth versus the simulacra. In a mix of geometric, loose, and abstract composition, I juxtaposed fake and real leaves on top of the canvas. As time goes on, the real leaves will die and turn brown, leaving the fake leaves to present themselves clearer. The message is meant to resonate with the viewer that its important we continue to be the real leaves, and that we point out the fake ones, the ones that bring us further from authenticity.