BUT I DRINK CHAMPAGNE NOW: COPY AND PASTE?

To extend the thought, see the painting of the T-shirt with the image of the great wave inside a bowl of noodles. A remake of an ordinary thing, a souvenir, worth perhaps a few dollars, into a new thing worth more. As such “original” in the established context is therefore “Fresh”.

For most, me included, this might be the closest one gets to an “original” version of The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. Perhaps along the way we shall define what “original” means in this context.

Made nearly 195 years ago, only 100 early prints made from the original cherry wood block are known to still exist. With both the Master design and the wood block destroyed and/or lost in history, the record breaking $2.8 million auction price explains the drive in demand that results in the millions of copies of its likeness.

With that in mind, these reproductions therefore fulfil the original intent of the work: mass production.

With this knowledge, the proximity to what I now consider a fresh take on an old yet still relevant artwork becomes more informing. Jan Van Ech's painting is what I would term as an oddly daring, visual and intellectual meal in our time.

Made on Japanese paper, using Japanese markers, the predominantly blue painting is vertically mounted against a deep blue wall, creating a sense of endless blue. It is contained within a light wooden frame and a broad white mount. A large curling crest occupies the upper left and centre of the image, while white foam breaks into dense clusters of small marks against the darker blue field. There are darker vertical and diagonal bands that resemble folds or creases in the surface.

On the upper right is a small rectangular mark composed of light and dark vertical sections. It resembles a seal, inscription or printed mark.

Near the lower right, behind the water, are small angular forms resembling distant, snow covered mountains. They are primarily white and pale blue, with dark outlines. A narrow yellow horizontal form runs near them, partly concealed by the foreground waves.

The folds are especially visible through the lower half. Along the bottom edge are three yellow forms that resemble boats. One at the far left, another near the centre, and a third toward the right. Parts of them appear separated, with sections disappearing into the darker folds, seemingly tilted or caught at an angle, giving the impression that they are capsizing.

These recognisable elements of The Great Wave are therefore visible within a different arrangement of surface. In that sense, the artist has now created an original piece from an existing one, translating the ideology of copying and pasting into reinterpretation and, perhaps, reinvention.

There are several round figures within these forms, resembling heads or people dressed in light blue. One figure inside the third form toward the right appears to have an expression of shock or awe.