Starry Night, after Van Gogh (Pictures of Magazines 2) 2012

Vik Muniz made Starry Night, after Van Gogh (Pictures of Magazines 2) out of, you guessed it, magazine scraps! Up close, the image dissolves into a sea of tiny fragments, each with its own color and texture. From a distance, these fragments coalesce into a recognizable whole, echoing Van Gogh's iconic painting. Look at the swirling blues of the night sky - now imagine those hues broken down into a mosaic of celebrity faces and fashion ads. The physicality of the medium here is undeniable. It’s not just paint on canvas, but the weight and substance of paper, torn and layered. These small pieces of paper come together to make up the big picture. It's like an ongoing conversation between the past and the present, the original and the copy. It reminds me of Kurt Schwitters, who elevated trash to high art through his collages, and how art embraces many interpretations.