DSDN 171

"Don't be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen. Those chains are made of chrome steel."- Carl Denham Art can now be considered made for the masses which is why an original piece of work is lost through manufacturing. However, although it can be designed for reproducibility, the authentic piece of work continues to plays a roll in our age of digital design. This is because it is the foundation of new aged replicas made as we continue to refer to the genuine article for inspiration. Take the 1933 version of King Kong directed by Merian C. Cooper for example- a classic film appreciated because of the originality of its screenplay- containing a full aura, as Walter Benjamin likes to argue. Despite the mass-produced 2007 King Kong blockbuster at its digitally-manufactured best, it lacks the authenticity of the original, screaming toy figure of King Kong as seen in the picture above. Reproduced work can be modified or improved, however I disagree that the role of an "authentic&q

The new craft. The gap between craft and design in the nineteenth century has now become a fine line. This contemporary piece of craft, originally guild-taught, shows how it has become mass produced because of its useful function. Although its original craft has been aesthetically modified throughout time the foundation of the bicycle has remained the same and the main evolution has become the division of labour. John Ruskin believed that the liberal and mechanical principles of design influenced this division between social classes where the poor were categorised as a "tool" for crafting. This went against Ruskin and William Morris' belief that the artist "must feel" free and have an understanding of nature. This example shows how the social division no longer limits what is defined as craft or design and instead creates a common interest in art which in turn unites people and as Ruskin states, "takes a serious view of human destiny."