Nicole’s post was very intriguing. Her post made me think about the definition of “maker” and its relationship to authorship. If someone prints a 3D model of a famous artwork, such as a smaller version of “The Thinker” by Rodin, to use a famous example, would we still attribute authorship to Rodin? How would this differ from a replica found in a gift shop? If used in an an academic study, how do we evaluate the difference? What would the role of the printers or programmers be in the making of these 3D versions? This tension reminds me of debates concerning authorship in the Renaissance, specifically regarding prints. Prints of famous artworks were often printed and circulated widely. Who was the author of the print? The woodcutter/engraver, the printer, the original artist? What is the difference between an original, reproduction, replica, and copy?
An interesting example is this print by Marcantonio Raimondi which is based on a drawing by Michelangelo. The inscription reads: “Invented (invenit) by Michelangelo the Florentine/ Marcantonio made (fecit) it.” Here a distinction is made between the engraver and the original creator of the image. The role of “invention” is also important.
Another example is an image we have seen before:
What happens to the image when it is given another medium, a different context, and a different artist?
The questions I am asking are: what happens to the image or object when printed in 3D? How does it change and how does our experience of it change? How can we understand authorship in this context?