Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

I don't think Walter Benjamin was quite right in his essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction although the gist of it still stands, but either way, after Jen Bekman's prodding I'm considering following Julian Thomas' lead and offering an edition of affordable art for sale. And don't worry, the aura of the authentic original will be detectable as you hold the print in your hand...

So stay tuned
PS - if anyone's aggregate/feed popped up with a post detailing the edition, I accidentally published rather than saved a rough draft last night - doh... keep your eyes peeled Monday

1 comment:

claudiocambon said...

Go for it, Tim! As long as each print is made with care, the work will not lose any aura, and will instead reach many more people who will be happy to own your work. The only aura lost is that of the precious, expensive and rare object, which a photograph doesn't have to be. I think it's hard for photographers to let go of this idea because we are afraid that it means we will cheapen our work to the point where it is worth nothing, and that that in turn will hinder our ability to make more work. Speaking from experience, selling my prints in this way has only made me more able to continue photographing.