Dear family

Dear family

You were always a lump in my throat 

PS: I never understood your type of love

Gray

Gray had a lot to say 

Gray was sad in every way 

but Gray couldn't find enough reasons

to try and find better words 

Gray had nothing else left to say

acrylics 

a6 

pages from a sketchbook 

Selling the Reproductions of Reproduction

Our lives revolve around the notion of reproduction. For instance, reposting an image on our Facebook wall under the label of sharing. Nonetheless, we like and comment on what we think is other people’s independent thoughts, but in fact everyone is quoting someone. In a world only encouraged by profit, money and competition one would understand the genuineness is just an illusion and autonomy is just a dream of a possible heaven. However the actual reality is a capitalist nightmare full of entrepreneurship and industrial monsters. Although, one would question the concept of capitalism and its history when one would understand its power of sustainability and permanence in our lives. Because of its characteristics and according to historical evolution only capitalism made our current developments happen by its ideology of mass production and globalization. Reproducible art supports capitalism by evoking consumerism as it arbitrates art in globalization. 

Ideology of reproduction: 

The reproduction of art, which is relative to historical periods created production lines made by artists turned into workers. According to history, representation is always crucial. Walter Benjamin discusses “In principle a work of art has always been reproducible. Man-made artifacts could always be imitated by men.¹“ In his essay Benjamin traces down reproduction to the cave arts. Rhythmical printed human palms are depicted on cave walls. Furthermore Benjamin talks about Casting and embossing techniques created by Greeks. He uses the example of the cylindrical seal, which is a cylindrically cut stone with embossed character on it. After that came wood engraving technique, which is a wooden plank with carved engravings on it? This highlights that art is built in a reproducible routine, not for to problematize authenticity of reproduction but for the practicality of it. In ancient times artist are not recognized by their individual names. It is only in the renaissance period that artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michael Angelo are thoroughly recognized. It is around that time that the idea of the commissioned artist begins. During that period, different furniture designs that belong to kings like Louis XIV, XV and XIV are publicized³. There are differed features specific to each king and thus their commissioned designs are named after them³. New styles of furniture design keep on occurring. However, the artist himself labels them. Brothers Adam style or style Hepplewhite names are example of that. So these styles become independent brands with their own unique features. “Around 1900 technical reproduction had reached a standard that not only permitted it to reproduce all transmitted works of art and thus to cause the most profound change in their impact upon the public¹” Benjamin writes. This necessity of reproduction creates new means of representation called visual graphics. With the invention of the first moving letters by German Johannes Gutenberg came the rise of graphics arts and the creating of new occupation in visuals art. This type of art becomes powerfully manipulated for the means of publicity. Publicity and art adjoin and create a new occupation called advertising with Albert Lasker². Reproduction generates the creation of this new industry. In other words, if art were not reproducible it would not have made it into advertising. The treatment of commercial arts serves only to sell commodities as factory-made products in a mode of endless manufacturing. “We're living in the Age of Persuasion. Leaders and organizations of all kinds public and private, large and small fulfill their missions only by competing in the marketplace of images and messages” express co-authors Jeffrey Cruikshank and Arthur Schultz in their book The Man Who Sold America. The invention of photography helps visual arts. Photography is indeed a reproducible art since you can print many copies from the same filmstrip. Visual arts triggers mass production to help the rise of capitalism and encourage competition for the sake of profit, which leads to the detection of new markets, new target audiences and new commodities. Thus, creating specific lines of production with more specific occupations, such as graphic design, interior design and fashion. Both competition and reproduction produces more competition and reproduction in the world of visual graphics. Machine reproduction becomes the major method of creation. Artists turn into workers. They no longer created art works but only took part of the manufactured work. The loss of an artist’s hand means the loss of an artist’s identity. After this occurs, reproducible art becomes questioned in terms of authenticity. Reproduction is not original by principle. However, it becomes commercialized.  

Art in consumer culture: 

“Capitalism’s record has two sides to it. Of course it has meant improvements in most areas of human existence for some, whether measured in comfort, education, health, productivity, or income levels. But there is the other side, whose components are casually ignored or brushed aside by mainstream opinion-makers”⁷ Douglas explains the binary effects of capitalism on society. In our current time reproducible art remains commercialized because it is subservient to its reproducible properties. “No society can reproduce, unless it constantly reconverts a part of its products into means of production, or elements of fresh products. All other circumstances remaining the same, the only mode by which it can reproduce its wealth, and maintain it at one level, is by replacing the means of production” In other words, reproduction does not sustain on its own without the mean of originality. However the only thing that can be reproduced without originality is the value of money. “As use values, commodities are, above all, of different qualities, but as exchange values they are merely different quantities, and consequently do not contain an atom of use value”⁴ which means commodities are different in content, but the same in value since they do not make use of value. After Henri Matisse develops his stenciled painting, the idea of expensive paintings made by different printing techniques becomes legible in modern art. Andy Warhol starts producing artwork in his factory as a business. He argues that business and art belong together. After becoming a commercial artist working in publication and magazine design, he later decides to break out of that by creating his own art brand. Comprehending the significance of reproduction in business, he progressively develops the technique of producing paintings out of silkscreen prints. After all prices are tagged and ready to be sold, he commits his artwork to business. Consequently in the art world, paintings are turned into commodities. Artistic theories and concepts are turned into establishments. Reproduction becomes the occupation of art craftsmanship throughout different art fields, but is always oriented towards a goal of profit and competition. That creates more specific specializations, like decor and furniture design, advertising and illustrations and finally, fashion design. Artists are hired to work in specific mediums. Subsequently all of these are professions exposed to mass media. This notion opens new job opportunities within the art industry. For example, the need for visual graphics produces a job trend and exploitation of sorts. It is that of unknown artist working for big graphics agencies. Art ideology and art craftsmanship is now being paid by hourly rates. Not only does artistry become mechanical but it also manipulates artistic concepts for production. Therefore, it promotes art branding not by the name of the artist but by the name of the agency. “Human labor power has been expended in their production, that human labor is embodied in them,“⁴ in a sense all products whether they belong or don’t belong to the art world are produced by means of human labor. The concept and practice of artists paid according to working hours to produce art for the mass culture has lead to the deterioration of artists’ identifying names. This occurs when a commissioned artist creates a painting that becomes produced into millions of copies and spread around the globe. Nevertheless, this has reinforced the notion of the dissemination of art pieces without identification or signatures. The untitled twenty-dollar printed painting sold at Ikea in Germany in contrast to the handmade chines watercolor landscapes sold at the Dragonmart in dubai is an example of this. Reproducible art is reproduced for the capitalist regime, which turns it into a commodity with the rise of globalization. 

Globalization and kitsch:

“The strength of each capitalist enterprise and nation, and of global capitalism, vary in accordance with the volume, scope, and rate of capital accumulation: that is, the expansion of the capitalist’s capital.” In the sense that, for the survivor of a capitalist nation it should occupy more manufacture to make bigger profit to have greater land. Post capitalism is about finding new means of reproduction for less money and more profit at a faster pace. In order to achieve this goal, it creates globalization. Globalization destroys different cultures and cultural art to create a hybrid culture that generates contemporary art. “Globalization involves a number of ongoing interrelated processes, including the internationalization of finance and trade, the development of international organizations such as the world bank, the increased circulation of people, the growth of transnational nongovernmental organizations (NGO)… and the diffusion of digital technology”⁵ Indeed, globalization is a current phenomenon that is combining cultures, which is devouring its uniqueness and creating a new unified global culture above all the rest. Looking for more medias to help spread globalization amended the development of technology. Technological evolution presents the Internet that sustains globalization. New art platforms are discovered, like digital art and computer graphics, along with new effective forms of publications like websites and social media thus, greater exposer to global markets in all domains. That produces new means of mass reproductions, which does not necessarily require any physical properties of the commodities being produced but only a click of a button. Online interactive market sells all types of products and services, virtual and non-virtual. For instance, buying a printed version of an image online versus buying the .jpg file or PDF. However, this means that this new art platform makes it easier for anyone to take the picture of any posted art piece and make use of it as he or she pleases. Nevertheless, the distortion of the art piece (rendered as an object) and the appropriation of historical art pieces as promotional items. Regular products wear the kluge of art ideology, thus they are massively produced in the form of expensive branding. For instance, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent reproduced the Mondrian painting of the grid in the form of a day dress. These interventions are mimicked into less expensive brands to be sold to a greater amount of individuals. Authentic historical art pieces become regular products. For example: Van Gogh’s painting the starry night” is printed on a mug and Picasso’s cubist paintings is Facebook cover. Globalization incorporates art that can be reproducible in mainstream media until it becomes kitsch. 

In conclusion, the face of kitsch has changed; it has generated a contemporary face with a historical archive. When art craftsmanship is turned into machine work and art ideologies are employed for profitable means what would be left in the hands of intentionality?  In that sense on would say that the only type of reproducible authentic art might only be performance art since it holds all the means of reproduction apart from one. It’s reproduced again and again for a period of time only. With each time it is reproduced it gives a unique experience. However, It does not have any exchange value. When authenticity is no longer crucial in society one question uniqueness of different culture in the future life. “Capitalism had developed the momentum and depth essential to a sturdy birth and survival. It was unlikely to end except by forces external to it”⁷ meaning it will never end except by revolution. 

Dec. 20. 2015

Notes:

Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008.

Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Media/society: Industries, Images, and Audiences. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE, 2014.

Cruikshank, Jeffrey L., and Arthur W. Schultz. The Man Who Sold America: The Amazing (but True!) Story of Albert D. Lasker and the Creation of the Advertising Century. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Review Press, 2010.

Dowd, Douglas Fitzgerald. Capitalism and Its Economics: A Critical History. 2nd ed. London: Pluto Press, 2000.

 "English Traditions Blog." English Traditions Blog. Accessed December 19, 2015. http://www.englishtraditions.com/blog/?p=5196.

"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Yves Saint Laurent: "Mondrian" Day Dress (C.I.69.23). Accessed December 19, 2015. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.69.23.

Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Vol. 1. London: Penguin Books in Association with New Left Review, 1990.

The Paradox Of Utopia

Utopia is heaven on earth. A utopian society is where people live in peace love and harmony, where both children and adults live happy with bliss, where everyone’s voice counts; everybody works together for each other. it is also  where everybody recycles and nature is not in jeopardy. Life is simply good. Would such a place exist with the demolishment of inequality and disabling of the abuse of power? Knowing human history, intentions and diverse ideologies, one would rationalize that such a place could not exist. Even the greatest mind in history failed to create it, for there will always be inequality, oppression and failure to agree on the concept of good. 

The concept of equality argues that people should all be perceived and treated on the same level of privileges. Nevertheless, the scale varies within the essence of ideologies. What particularly defines fairness for one individual does not specifically abide by another in relation to the same given surrounding. Hence, equality does not exist especial in a world divided into classes. Many philosophers talked about the utopian society. From ancient to modern philosophy, all philosophers argued this concept. Although they had different ideologies and set of beliefs most of them still claimed that it is almost impossible to happen. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato talks about the possibility of a utopian society in his book The Republic, only if under strict rules and laws. He believes that in this world of vital living, to avoid greed of the people in charge, they cannot own properties. Therefore ownership and possession of martial things was negated (Plato, 1955). Even though he declares women and men equal still, a lot of factors question the concept of equality in his theory (Plato, 1955). Three classes divided Plato’s utopia, two upper classes and one working class. Meaning that, the upper class, which is the rulers or philosophers and the military class, are the majority of the whole (Plato, 1955). In other words, if we would divide the three classes as percentage to the whole one hundred present we would have 33.3% of each class. Thus, the upper class takes 66.6% of the whole active in the governmental regime. However, that does not mean the population of this class is greater especially after understanding Plato’s qualification request to become from the lower class. Therefore the working class resembles a smaller percentage as a whole but embodies a bigger population of people. Other features of Plato’s utopia were the importance of everyone working together for the good of the state. Nevertheless democracy is not practiced in his utopia since, he thought, a person should be of certain knowledge to have a valid opinion (Plato, 1955). So, if according to Plato utopia is a place where democracy does not exist thus oppression is found, yet one would interrogation equality when classes are made to separate people. Then how exactly is it a perfect world? In our modern history communism was practiced in a number of countries until it failed (Why Communism Failed, 2015). It was proven to be unsuccessful for many reasons. First, no one was allowed any type of ownership to avoid greediness, Second privileges are for everyone and third no one is above the law (Why Communism Failed, 2015). It all sound very promising but, once it was in practice there came to be many defaults. First, people could not work efficiently when they know there is nothing in return for them. Second, not everyone wanted the same thing, people are different and ideologies of happy life varied, so happiness was not exactly evident in everyone’s life (Why Communism Failed, 2015). Instead they all turned into machines, working for no higher goal just serving their country (Why Communism Failed, 2015). Yes, it was a safe place which, was organized and extremely balanced in resources and classes did not exist (Why Communism Failed, 2015), but still it was not a utopian society. Nevertheless, it did not survive. In the movie The Giver, utopian world was illustrated as harmony. People lived peaceful lives that they forgot what humanity means (The giver, 2014). They forgot colors, taste, even culture, and most importantly they objectified emotions to limit them down into small categories of referenced emotions. For example love was considered to be an abstract emotion that cannot be defined. Subsequently, in the world the expression love was not allowed since it has a debatable meaning (The giver, 2014). “Is it worth giving up the experience of beauty, joy and love to end pain and suffering?” says Jonas, the main character in the movie, as he slowly discovers how the world used to be before utopia (The giver, 2014).  

If as previously said utopia is a place where everybody counts individually to make part of the whole for the sake of greater good, then democracy is a utopian believe. Democracy according to the Merriam Webster is a form of government in which people choose their leader (Merriam-Webster). Although, in Plato’s theory of utopia not all the people should have the right to choose, He thought to have a valid opinion one should be a philosopher. However, one can only study philosophy after one has served in the military for 10 years, studied philosophy for 20 years and lived for more than 50 years. So that would actually mean a short number of people would be able to express their opinion but, what about the rest of the people in the state? Should they all live in oppression of opinion for the sake of utopia? Would it still be a perfectly harmonious society if most of the people cannot share a thought just because they are not of required age and knowledge? Democracy is one of the five forms of government in our modern age and time. It is wildly spread. There are two types of democrat government direct democracy and indirect democracy. In both cases people get to elect who is in charge. However in direct democracy, they are able to vote directly to all issues thus, state their opinion. Whereas, indirect democracy is when people elect a person that represents them, so he or she would state their opinion in substitution. Either way the core of this ideology is to give everyone the capacity to participate in his or her government. Still, should just anyone have the power to state their opinion effectively if they are not of philosophical, economical and political understanding?  In the current situation the United States of American is facing a dreadful situation in their elections for presidency. Although, in their democratic governmental regime citizens participate in the government decision in leadership still, the majority of people might end up electing an unqualified president, like Donald Trump. Not by his level of education nor by his age but by his history of racial discrimination and gender inequality. In parallel, if Trump existed in Plato’s time he would have be suitable for the requirements of leadership, but he would have not survived for the greater good since no good can come of class, gender and racial discrimination. Thus it would not be utopian, but instead will be dystopia, its binary opposite. A real life example of dystopia would be Fascism. Fascism promised to create a new society (What Is Fascism, 2015).  It strives nation under a genetic narrative, which, is a racial issue to create a pure race (What Is Fascism, 2015). In theory the main aim of fascism was to solve the problems of materialist capitalism and Marxist socialism (What Is Fascism, 2015). Which is a very crucial point to become fully self-sufficient (What Is Fascism, 2015). However it supports violence to achieve political means (What Is Fascism, 2015). Hence, turned the society into dystopia.  In other words, a state of ignorant citizen will never make it a day without abuse or oppression. That is why in a democratic society everyone has at least 15 years of schooling, underage labor is illegal and finally only highly qualified people are allowed to run for presidency. Nevertheless, that does not unify the concept of greater good. Even with equal educational privileges, in a common environment, individuals would still have different hypotheses of what is good or bad, right or wrong and what serves a higher power or goes with the means of contrariety. 

The concept of greater good is an individual principle evoked by social perceptions conjoined with experience and exposer. Modern philosopher Immanuel Kant articulates “All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”(Kant) He explains that every person is born with green spectacles that make everything look green. This green spectacles shapes our perspective and view points. However, ones experience of life with these green spectacles manipulates our idea of what is good. Furthermore ones exposer to advanced life events in juxtaposition with earlier factors stated, shaped ones final rationality of goodness. That is why it is relative and not consistent. Kant explains more about the process of self understanding ones relativity, “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. I do not seek or conjecture either of them as if they were veiled obscurities or extravagances beyond the horizon of my vision; I see them before me and connect them immediately with the consciousness of my existence.” (Kant)

In conclusion, the utopian world is just an illusion like any other “what if” there is just too much at stake. If we were to try to fix the world from all of what it is right now we would fail to even start. It is only if the world would be horrifically demolished and man kind had to start over that they may conceder starting civilization for the sake of greater good and not for the sake of immortality of one ruler over the other. Nevertheless, Utopian ideology is a paradox. It is impossible to happen because humans’ themselves are not idealistic from primary the structure of humanity. 

Dec.18.2015

Works Cited

"Democrecy." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.

The Giver. Dir. Phillip Noyce. Perf. Brenton Thwaites. The Weinstein Company, 2014. Film.

Kant, Immanuel, and Marcus Weigelt. The Critique of Pure Reason. Trans. Max Muller. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 2005. Print.

Plato, and Henry Desmond Pritchard Lee. Plato, the Republic. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1955. Print.

What Is Fascism? Perf. Lissette Padilla. TestTube News. Youtube, 15 Aug. 2015. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUcYU95kCAI>.

Why Communism Failed. Freedom Philosophy. Youtube, 22 Apr. 2015. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjctCS1kZp4>.