Cheap Imitation — Fine Art

Cheap Imitation - 1971 by John Cage turns a borrowed score into marks on paper. The work follows Cage practice of letting a rule or coin toss decide the drawing. Lines step across the sheet with small changes each time, so the page reads like a written tune rather than a fixed picture.

The fine art print comes ready to hang. The sheet is matte, which lets the pencil tone stay even and keeps the white paper from shining under a lamp. A light or wood frame can sit beside the marks without pulling the eye away from the line work.

On a study desk wall the row of marks reads as a short list of notes. From the reading chair the page shows its quiet spacing and the small shifts between one line and the next.