A work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction
Through the consumption of
bootleg ‘luxury’ items people obtain real and symbolic
benefits, permitting them to express a desired social image. Clearly the
consumption of counterfeit luxury goods an individual’s construction of identity, go hand in hand. But what factors
motivate us to buy counterfeits or pirated goods?
Even with the most perfect reproduction, one
thing stands out: the here and now of the work – its unique existence in the
place where it is at that moment. The here and now of the original, constitute
the abstract idea of its genuineness.
In
this case, are these silver etchings phony or genuine? Are they authentic
because they are in fact distinct acid-etched, hand draw pendants? Or are they simply bogus consumer products; work that
appropriates the power of globalization and the perceived value of material
goods?
