Electronic Production

Electronic production is the use of technological media rendering and altering artwork to a more productive output. This approach did in fact speed up production, while at the same time, affecting the working process of artists and transforming the end result of their work on visual culture. The invention of the rotary press came in 1850, which "enabled the cheap and rapid reproduction of photographs and drawings in newspapers." (Pg. 23) Although this mechanical production was the next new thing, Walter Benjamin is one that argued that reproducing these images left a lack in 'aura' that you can find in all the handcrafted originals. I would definitely have to agree with Benjamin. Reprinting and technologically altering imagery does make a more massive reproduction, but at the same time keeping the very original so unique and expensive. I can print off a replicate of the Mona Lisa, and it's not going to be worth anything, but now if you have the original in hand, you'd be looking at about $780 million today. The handcrafted originals will always be worth the most.