Last Updated on 03/09/2013 by Chris Gampat
Weekend Humor isn’t supposed to be taken seriously. So don’t…we’re serious.
The real world just isn’t enough for Trent Janssen. Thoroughly dismayed after being rejected an entry to an exhibition, Trent decided to take on the art establishment again through the use of his iPhone. After downing several cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and an organic free-trade GMO-free tofurkey burger, he sat at his computer and wrote a substantial amount of code that resulted in an Instagram extension that renders images in the Cubist mode because “nobody does Cubist things anymore”. Modern art scholars voiced their vitriol and Instagram responded by taking it down. Yet another rejection for Mr. Janssen. We reached out to him again to hear his side of the story.
JM: Welcome back, Trent. We didn’t think we’d be talking to you so soon.
TJ: Yeah. Thanks.
JM: So, Cubism. Why Cubism?
TJ: Well, you know, like, Cubism was so innovative in its time, you know, and, like, it was completely unheard of. And Picasso was like the king of the Cubists.
JM: With this Instagram extension, do you think you’re being innovative?
TJ: So many artists today are out there painting and bucking the current trends. That’s not innovative, you know. When you look at history, you see, like, a constant repetition of artists going against the norm and creating new things. When have you ever seen a group of artists go and take a previous form and reintroduce it into society. Like never, right? At least, not since the Renaisconse.
JM: Renaissance.
TJ: Yeah, that’s exactly what I said, Renaisconce. So, with this Picasso extension, I’m going against the norm of going against the norm. It’s totally recursive, you know?
JM: No, not really, but that’s alright. How much of this was fueled by your post-rejection anger from that exhibition?
TJ: Well, you know, they’re a bunch of squares. I’m still taking thought-photos with my mind-camera all the time. They can’t kill my art-
JM: Nobody can see your art.
TJ: I know! And that’s what it makes it so avant-garde. Now, with this Picasso extension, I can fill a hole that was left by Instagram.
JM: What hole?
TJ: I used to take so many photos of my food because I eat such interesting things, and while I would take some with my mind-camera, I also used my phone. There was this one meal I had where the corn and peas were segregated, and I thought, “This is such an interesting statement on racial injustice in society.” Then I took out my phone to use Instagram, and the photo wouldn’t take. I was so heartbroken when Instagram prevented food photos because my shots were so interesting.
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