Reproductive Media

The definition and concept of art varies from one point of view to another. It can be explained using an objective approach which explains art in terms of its elements such as color, texture and space or using a subjective approach which explains art in terms of the content and meaning that it convey to the society.

Even though art has a wide range of definition and concept, the different products of art or the artworks are classified into more specific classes. These classes can either be the two dimensional type such as paintings, illustrations, and photographs or the three dimensional type such as sculptures, architectures or dances.

            Majority of these artworks are being imitated or reproduced by different artists that also want to create art. The question here is that are artworks that questions the idea of reproduction also questions the idea of art being something original in it?

            If certain artworks are reproduced by another means such as the combination of different artworks to produce a single one which is of better quality,will that questions the idea of reproduction in artwork? I would like to say that artworks in their selves are originally made by artists.  If another image of that certain type of work is reproduced through another means, I can still consider that as an art.

            Also, if an artwork is just a combined images of other artworks and that makes it considered to be an artwork, will it question the idea of reproduction of another art? This is a matter of issue for the case of photomontages, which I will discussed later in this paper.

            In that sense, I would like to say that the artwork that had been made was an artwork-inspired artwork. That means that artworks do not only exist just for the mere fact that artists want other people to appreciate their work and marvel at its wonders but also, they want their art to serve as an inspiration in making of another artworks. Also, for photomontages, the act of combining photographs to make another photograph which is an artwork, will be justified by the means in which it is made.

            In line with this topic, I would like to make a proposal that deals with an artwork that questions the idea of reproduction, an example of which, is photomontage. In photomontage, different photographs are being combined and edited to make a single composite photo. The question of reproduction here is on the type of artwork that can be produced after doing a photomontage.

            I am suggesting that a photomontage image of fused reality and religion be combined in order for us to make an image of the real world with our religious principles in it. In this type of photomontage, I am thinking of making a photograph that can be produced when I will edit and combine Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to the painting of the last supper.

            If I am going to make an artwork that questions the idea of reproduction like this one, I will make use of new technologies that are available today such as the use of computer programs and software in editing various photographs to produce one composite photo.

            Another proposal that I want to make in a photomontage is about the question of reproduction on the combination of different elements at a particular dimension or space. For this topic, I will make a  composite photograph of fire, ice, wind, and land as these all elements will be the background of a separate human photograph. Using this idea, I can show that the coexistence of different factors in our society is crucial for man’s way of living as shown by the harmony that the composite photograph will give.

            In that sense, we can tell that the reproduction of artworks has its advantages and its disadvantages. Among its advantages includes the improvement of individual single ideas into a more compact and comprehensive one such as the case of photomontages. Also, through reproduction of artworks, the original ones are given more appreciation and they also serve as media in which new generation of artworks may be brought in our society.

            Although a few, I can think that this way of reproducing art has also its disadvantages. One of these is that the idea of making other artworks will be limited such that limited new artworks in the sense of new concept will be created. The increase in artworks that imitate the previous artworks will surface. In the case of photomontages, the disadvantages will be if I used a poor technique or I have an unrefined skill in making composite photographs, the main idea that the artwork want to tell the audience will not be depicted.

                        Lastly, the important concept that the artworks that questions the idea of reproduction offers us is that, is there a thing that is not a reproduction? Although the concept of reproduction in art is a very wide and critical issue as it is bounded by many definitions and speculations, it will now depend to the audience whether they will look at a specific artwork whether it questions the idea of reproduction or not.

            For me, this issue of artworks, particularly photomontages, that questions the idea of reproduction is only of a minor importance in the arts, I can say that whether an art is original or just a combination of other artworks, its value will depend on the eyes of the viewers. Thus, in conclusion, I can say that photomontages that questions the idea of reproduction but it should not serve as a basis for us to deny the fact that these artworks are still product of a skilled artist and a combined form of the different artworks.

            Nonetheless, if we will remain in debating on this issue of artworks that question the idea of reproduction, we will not improve and we will be left behind by others. What we should do is gain a better appreciation of the arts and at the same time, an understanding of the artworks.

REFERENCE

www.updig.org. (2007). Fine Art Reproduction- What Museums Need. Retrieved November 24,    2007 from http://www.updig.org/disg/fineart.php