Listed in: Art and the History of Art, as ARHA-418
Niko Vicario (Section 01)
Walter Benjamin, writing in the 1930s, famously said that when it comes to a photograph, there is no original. While predominant thinking about the copy hinges on the example of photography, how can we understand this idea as part of a longer history of replication that includes a much more expansive range of media, including ceramics, printmaking, and bronze-casting? Why replicate the object or image? How does replication relate to mass production and the market, and how does it challenge an idea of the work of art as a unique creation? What is the connection between the proliferating images we find on the Internet and older types of circulating, spawning forms? The course will include guest speakers, including artists and art historians, whose knowledge will diversify the geographical, technical, and historical breadth of our discussions.
Fall 2024: Professor Vicario
How to handle overenrollment: Preference given to ARHA majors
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: An emphasis on written work, readings, independent research, oral presentations, visual analysis, class discussion.
Course Materials