After Aura: Authorship, Automation, Authenticity Kailin J. Jones Advisor: Azra Akšamija Readers: Hans Tursack, Mark Jarzombek Walter Benjamin writes that “that
edge the migration of objects, people
of reproduction. Rather, it is con-
which withers in the age of mechani-
and tools that have circulated through-
stantly evolving along with the in-
cal reproduction is the aura of the
out the world transmitting aesthetics
novations of technologies, the reach
work of art.” In this thesis, I explore
and transferring skill and knowledge.
and speed of distribution networks,
that which flourishes in the act of re-
In After Art, David Joselit asks for an
and changes in politics, economics,
production. This thesis examines the
expansion of the definition of art to
and culture. Artists such as Vermeer
evolution of reproductive techniques
“embrace heterogeneous configura-
used reproductive techniques, such
in and transmissions of art and how it
tions of relationships or links,” freeing
as using the camera lucida to assist in
has affected artistic invention.
art from belonging to any particular
accurately rendering his images.
According to Benjamin, aura is rooted
time, space or medium.
The thesis uses China as a site of
in site specificity, ritual, uniqueness and
The ancient craft of beauty has never
reproduction, both historic and con-
non-reproducibility, failing to acknowl-
been stagnant or isolated from the act
temporary, to reinforce the cultural complexities of reproduction. The sixth principle of Chinese painting, “ 传 移 模 写 ” translates word-forword to “transmitting-transferring, imitating-writing.” The first two characters define the motivation for copying and the second pair address the method. The process of copying has the ability to transfer knowledge and skill from the original to the copier; the copy itself facilitates the preservation of the original from lootings
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