Reproduction and Creativity in Printmaking: Exploring the Dialectic of Originality and the Copy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36602/famj.2025.20.1Keywords:
Copy, Printmaking, Digital Art, AuraAbstract
This study offers a philosophical and aesthetic exploration of the concept of the "copy" in printmaking, focusing on the dialectical relationship between the "original" and the "reproduction" within the evolving technological and cultural landscape—particularly in the digital era. The research is grounded in the premise that a copy is not necessarily opposed to authenticity but can serve as an autonomous expressive medium capable of generating new meanings within specific contexts. Adopting a theoretical and analytical approach, the study reviews critical and philosophical literature, including the works of Walter Benjamin, Boris Groys, and John Berger, among others. The research presents five key findings, which collectively argue that repetition in printmaking does not contradict creativity, but rather expands its dimensions. The printed copy—whether manually produced or digitally generated—holds the potential to create meaning equal to, and sometimes independent from, the "original." Ultimately, the study positions printmaking as a conceptual framework that challenges traditional ideas of authorship, uniqueness, and interpretation in the context of postmodern thought.
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