Visual Technology,Image Reproduction, and the Copy

Artists have often replicated major works of art to sell in place of originals. New age technology has made creating replicas of major art pieces simple. Nonetheless, the main question that collectors ask themselves is whether or not it is the same as the original?

An American photographer and painter that has made a living off copying other people's work since 1975.

One of his recent scandals involves a photograph that he took from a user's Instagram account that he sold for $90,000.

He has famously said that people don't want different they want the same type of art.

Richard Prince's art is typically frowned upon. But, how about others that use other people's work for political persuasion or humor?

Photographer Alberto Kordas snapped a photo of Che Guevara that went on to become an iconic image during the Cuban revolution.

Although, this image was re-appropriated and used by many to politically persuade, in the eyes of the masses it is not as frowned upon as the work by Richard Prince.

It seems as though it is upsetting for artists when others are not giving them the credit they deserve and profiting off of their work.

Although duplicating work is easy in today’s society, it isn’t always ethical; especially when someone is profiting off of someone else’s work.

Fortunately, there are people like philosopher Walter Benjamin who believe in the aura of the original, who wouldn’t want to settle for anything less. Authentic work has a different feel and meaning than a work of art that has been mass-produced. In a world of duplication, it is way better to be the original.

Citations

• Richard Prince Sells Instagram Photos For Thousands | All In | MSNBC [Advertisement]. (2015, May 28). MSNBC.
• Sturken, M. (2009). The Practice of Looking. Oxford University Press.
• Benjamin, W. (n.d.). The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader, 25-33. doi:10.4135/9781446269534.n3
• Alberto Korda - The Photographer behind the Face of Ernesto Che Guevara - The Art History Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17, 2016, from http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/photography/Alberto-Korda.html