Art from the fake

[Moses] What do you think of those?

[Reggie] By one get one at Sotheby’s

[Moses] Which one do you think is better?

[Reggie] I don’t really know too much about art, so–

[Moses] No, that’s fine. I’m just asking, which one do you like more?

[Reggie] Okay… Um… Definitely the one on the right.

[Moses] You sure?

[Reggie] Yeah. I don’t know why, but there’s something about it.

[Moses] So, that…is an authentic van Gogh. The other is a fake. It’s a very good fake. But it’s fake. I believe that algorithms, that code, can be art. The difference between these two paintings isn’t skill, it’s passion. Van Gogh was an artist. He felt his work with everything inside of him. The other’s a painting. Just a painter. An incredibly talented painter, but a painter. You’re an artist. The other people on the team, they’re painters. I’m putting you in charge. That is if you want.

From “Dear White People” Season 3, episode 6 “Chapter VI”