If I had told you that this photo was taken by the famous Dada artist Man-Ray, do you think it is worth exhibiting at the Museum of Modern Arts in New York? Neither did I. Apparently, there is a lot of debate in what is considered art. One of the prevailing postmodern theories is that the process of making art is as important as the product itself. In other words, the entire process beginning to end is part of the art. To illustrate, here is how a postmodern artist would have created this picture:

1. Order an exotic coffee at an avant-garde cafeteria. (No, Starbucks is not avant and skip the creamy froth.)
2. Find a nice clean table preferably next to the window. (It’s important to be seen from the outside.)
3. Look haughty while sipping coffee.
4. Place point and shoot camera on the table next to the coffee along with the Jack Kerouac hardcover purloined at boyfriend’s apartment.
5. Point camera at ceiling.
6. Sip coffee. Make sure that that little finger is always pointed upwards as coffee cup is raised.
7. Fire camera with the other hand preferably with little finger also pointed upwards.
8. Repeat step 6 and 7 if necessary.
9. Admire the result while bopping head left and right. (Man, I’m good.)
10. Call it art and give it an inscrutable title that no one will understand like “Still Life with My Avocado-Inspired Breakfast”.

Hope your day is going well. Enjoy. – R

Featured in Avant-Garde January 21, 2012