Evie 10/1

Walter Benjamin expresses in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction that “In principle, a work of art has always been reproducible” (p. 38). While art has always been reproducible, times have certainly changed. Before the 19th century, the replication of art was done by humans. The process was slow and not even close to being on a mass production scale. Today, art is replicated by means of machines. This new medium of replication allows for art to be copied exponentially. The issue with this innovation is that each time a work of art is copied it loses its authenticity. Benjamin argues that even the most perfect replication lacks its presence in time and space; an “authentic” print does not exist. In other words, the aura of the replicated piece is missing as nothing truly compares to the feelings and emotion tied to the original. 

The idea of printing and replication reminded me of my own experience with art. My family has a Salvador Dali print in our house with a fraction at the bottom corner. I was unaware of what the number meant until my mom informed me that the denominator indicates the edition size and the numerator indicates the number of each satisfactory print in the edition. Since editions are usually printed all at the same time, it seems impossible for the numerator to signify the actual printing sequence. However, since prints already lack value and authenticity, the number serves as a sort of tie to the original piece. The little fraction at the bottom of the print gives a sliver of authenticity back to the replica. Although the copy is one of many, it is still part of that one edition. In a way, a sense of uniqueness is tied to that number. I attached a photo of the print, it's a really cool piece!