Copism
What is Copism?
Copism initially refers to copying. Founded in 2013 by Nico Franz, Copism is a new movement in modern art. Its followers call themselves Copists. The Copists see themselves as modernizers of art, focusing solely on reinterpreting already existing works. Through the copist process, the copy reveals a new truth of the original work.
The Copist Manifesto
The Copist says, everything is a copy:
Copist was the one who copied.
Copist is the one who copies.
Copist will be the one who copies.
The copist process consists of imitation, emotion, analysis, and reproduction.
The work of a Copist may only be altered, but not copied.
Every copy is unique.
Copism is a global movement in art.
Copism is committed solely to art.
Novus Ordo Copia
Copist Catalog of Works
Copism has given rise to a variety of styles since its inception. What they all share is the steadfast goal of dissolving the iconic rigidity of the referenced originals. The Copist uses the original works—rigid in their impression, arbitrary in their essence—as a starting point for the creative process. By breaking this rigidity and revealing the arbitrariness, the Copist deconstructs the whole into its elements and reassembles them anew. In doing so, the Copist employs randomly parameterized proportions, shapes, and colors from the original. This results in a new work that multiplies the original layers of meaning through its diversity.
Chronological Overview
Moving Art, since 2014
The Copist moves art.
Copistic Historicism, since 2020
Copist Historicism visualizes historically significant connections on image panels. Unlike the general usage of the term, Historicism here refers to a narration of human history in general (from the Ancient Greek 'historia,' meaning "investigation or inquiry (of the past)," also "knowledge through investigation (of the past)"; in English, "story" (for fictional or real narratives) or "history" (for real narratives)).
Art of Randomness, since 2015
In the search for the smallest common element of painted art, the Copists have identified the pixel as the basis of all works. In this copist style, the pixel itself is often copied, though not without being parameterized in the process.
Leonardo Cycle, 2020-2023
Reconstruction of the presumed visual concepts behind the seven unquestionably authentic paintings by Leonardo, as well as the hypothesized visual concept for the two sides of the portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, which is currently still attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
New Realism, since 2020
New Realism seeks to build a significant bridge between the worlds of classical painting, the natural original, and—this is new—the medium of its representation. New Realism questions existing and learned interpretive layers and brings them back to their representational object. The goal is to create islands of meaning from which the viewer can momentarily escape their reality upon the moment of realization.
Lost+Found
If art is free from any subjective selection and based solely on chance, only then is my work truly complete.
Nobody is perfect - this also applies to nicofranz.art!
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