Abstract
This thesis looks at the current state of digital reproductions for contemporary photographic artworks—how they are made, the purposes they serve, and how they are disseminated by cultural institutions. Using four selected photographic installation artworks by Canadian artist Michael Snow, this research examines how museums pursue reproductions of artworks that are installative by design and possess elements that are not easily reproducible like sound or the use of time. The reproduction process and terminology used at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada (two institutions with significant collections of Snow’s artworks) are both examined, as well as how digital reproduction is currently discussed and theorized by museum professionals and digital specialists. Reproductions are used for outreach, research, advertising, and conservation, but between texts and institutions alike there lacks consistent terminologies and purposes for reproductions due to the dearth of research into this type of imagery.
Highlights
The Body of Work and Methodology Literature Survey A Brief History of Photographic Art Reproduction and Associated Imaging Terminology Contemporary Perspectives On Public Access The Selected Artworks of Michael Snow and Their Reproductions Reproduction Recommendations Conclusion p. 1 p. 6 p. 9 p.16 p. 26 p. 32 p. 36 p. 37 vi List of FiguresList of IllustrationsIllustration 1
How do you photograph a photographic installation in order to maintain the aura of the original artwork, and how is this represented and presented to the public by cultural institutions? This is an important line of inquiry as, increasingly, museums’ and cultural institutions’ collections are being accessed through the internet, and the reproductions that are produced by these institutions affects how they are interpreted and understood by the viewing public
Current digital theory proposes that digital images should be considered as unique objects because of their ability to be shared and linked to several computers simultaneously, and the fact that they can be re-sized and compressed. This theory places the digital reproductions made by museums and cultural institutions at odds with their original use and intent
Summary
My thesis examines how contemporary artworks, like those by Michael Snow (1929–), fit within the reproduction process at cultural institutions, and inquires into the reproduction’s virtues and limitations and the nature of the experience that is being elicited through the use of digital copies. Buck briefly states that “considering that many images are used and repurposed by many departments, it is important to preserve a master version of the file” (185) Though she briefly discusses the varied uses of photographic reproductions within cultural institutions and states that increased access to collections through publication and web presence has had a positive effect, she does not examine the following: how a reproduction is made; how to reproduce a photographic piece, in particular; or how reproductions of more complex works, like installations, are to be pursued or even acknowledged by the institution. For Kraemer the documentation of modern works of art (which he defines as being transient and using space and time as part of their creation) is insufficient and in need of a new method of documentation that can better replicate the whole experience He suggests employing new technology and digital media to record and document these transient works, which he believes is a key issue for cultural institutions making reproductions of artworks that are sensorial and installative. This is important as it elucidates the difficulty with making reproductions of artworks that have a definitive life span, that are multi-sensorial by design and use space as an important element of their makeup
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