RE: authenticity

Hmmm.
A few more parameters come into play here, I think: "The machine",
"appreciation" and "alienation".
The machine (be it a kitchen appliance or the latest desktop doohickey) is
another layer in the program of the machine. The modern machine is
inherently alien; it is the black box, the.....the....camera! It is magic.
I would contend that the inkjet print is still magic, just like the
Polaroid. (Well, maybe not to the technicians on this list, but general
non-artist citizen Joe doesn't really think about these things.) And magic
is always appreciated! <grin> No?

At 01:48 PM 2/22/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>Marie,
>
>Are you inferring that because the general populous now makes and,
>consequently, basically understands how an inkjet print is made that an
>inkjet print is easier to appreciate than a print that is not made in this
>fashion? That's interesting. See below:
>
>[I think that knowing how something is made (or having a clue or two) is a
>large part of the experience of being in front of an object, be it a chair
>or a photo/print. "Ya know"? ]
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Marie Wohadlo [mailto:mwohadlo@press.uchicago.edu]
>Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 12:57 PM
>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>Subject: RE: authenticity
>
>My personal take on the 'authenticity' thang is somewhat (only somewhat,
>don't be alarmed here) based on Marx's determination that we are alienated
>from our means of production. (Also related to tourism, I believe, but
>that's another stoyry.) Now I don't consider myself an extreme
>earthy-crunchy person, but we KNOW where the Stickley wood came from, and
>something about power and hand tools, but how many of us (those who don't
>push the "inject" button on the injection mold machine) know where that
>generic substance we call PLASTIC comes from. Yes, we know it's a
>chemical, but how much more than that do we commonly know? I think that
>knowing how something is made (or having a clue or two) is a large part of
>the experience of being in front of an object, be it a chair or a
>photo/print. "Ya know"?
>--Marie
>
>>way that we tend to view a Stickley chair as somehow more authentic than
>>an injection molded plastic jobbie. They both hold your butt about 2-1/2
>>feet in the air, but many people just think of the Stickley chair as
>>something authentic and permanent versus the transient, impermanent and
>>disposable plastic version. I guess ugly, easy and cheap gets trumped by
>>beauty any time.
>>
>>Clay

Marie Wohadlo
Electronic Publishing Specialist, Information Technology
Office phone: (773) 753-3374 Office number: 374C Wing: 3E
email: mwohadlo@press.uchicago.edu
Received on Tue Feb 22 15:39:00 2005