Original Oil Paintings

It always seemed to me unnecessary to slap the word “original“ in front of “oil paintings.“ Of course they’re original! I made them. But now with all the cyber-art oozing around, “original“ is more important to art than ever. The computerating art has certainly democratized the idea of ownership, and given us artists new means of expression and new audiences, but it has also rendered uniqueness pretty much meaningless. It has created fodder-for-all. And it is very pretty fodder at times. It leaves little space for happy accidents that lead to the subtle quirks that bring us back and back to looking at a work of art and wondering what exactly IS it that brings me back and back.