When most people look at an artist's work they frequently make reference to the work of another artist. They say something like "this reminds me of the work of such and such or have you seen the work of so and so, etc." I feel that people are not looking at the work but rather seeing how fast they can put a label on it.

I wonder if this is because most people experience art through reproductions in books, magazines, catalogs etc. For others with broader exposure to art this labeling also functions as a shorthand method of telegraphing what the work is like. This quick exercise reduces the possibility of a sensual experience and often misses the artist's originality. Quick labeling and dismissal is reinforced by the global media meta-language that causes people to rarely experience anything directly through the senses nor to have an opinion other than from a media source. We become mentally lazy by depending on others to figure out difficult or original concepts. We avoid taking risks and prefer to attach ourselves to what has already been validated by others. We like our mental food predigested.

This is the starting point for"Faux Conceptual Art."