Technological developments have and will continue to redefine art and the process in which it is created, displayed, and received. “Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” written by Walter Benjamin, offers a lot of insight into the history of art and the positives and negatives of modern technology in the art field.
Technology has made it somewhat difficult to define what an original work of digital art is. From my own perspective, I would define original work as something uniquely created that can be distinguished from other works by creative decisions. However, I think that this definition can vary greatly from artist to artist.
In the conversation of artistic authenticity, it is important to consider the process of Artificial Intelligence, which is becoming a very prominent aspect of modern technology. AI raises countless questions for artists about authenticity, ethics, and the definition of art itself. Since AI doesn’t use the same creative process as artists do, is the work truly considered art? Additionally, since it pulls qualities from existing work to create its own, is the work considered original? These questions, along with many others, are difficult to answer as the prominence of AI is still relatively new.
The internet and social media are more examples of technological advances that have completely rewritten the process and distribution of artwork. One positive about sharing artwork on social media is that oftentimes, the platforms use complicated algorithms that work to ensure your work is landing on the feed of people who will enjoy seeing it. This can be very useful in spreading your work to the right audience, who then can connect with you further through your personal website, email, or countless other uses of technology.
With the continuing change in technology, artistic authenticity will continue to be a huge question facing artists. I believe that the process of art and how it is defined will continue to be altered throughout time.
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