An original work of digital art is a work of art with an original aura. The text mentions taking an original piece of art and changing it or being inspired by it to create a reproduction piece. This was referred to as an emancipation of the piece, letting the new face of this art be free from its previous cult value: meaning the social or cultural significance of a piece of art. Original is a strange concept with that consideration, as putting the same piece of art in a new context can change an art's aura drastically. I think the way to provide a piece of art with authenticity is for it to provide a gateway for a new idea. If someone creates a canvas simply covered in cobalt blue, great! If someone else takes a canvas simply covered in cobalt blue and then puts red polka dots on it, then that's a new idea and a new piece of authentic art (implying the first piece was authentic art previously, though if it were to be proved to be unauthentic, that would not take away the authenticity of the polka dot piece).
I believe media and technology is both an artist's best friend and worst enemy. While there are the obvious helping hands of new ways to create art, accessible ways to research art, and easy ways to share art, the reproduction of art has become a problem. It was monumental in the time periods the text mentions early on, creating a way for artist to reproduce their own art and more easily share it when the difference between a print and an original didn't really matter. Now, in a more digital age, it has been the main tool of art theft. It's easy to reproduce work and claim it to be your own work, but how do you prove to be an authentic and original artist? Aura doesn't work here, so is it the work put into it? How do you prove that without a canvas in your home, when a piece is digital? I don't think anyone cares about the file on your computer, so I believe it may be the ability to express your ideas, thoughts, and style through the piece. Others may be able to reproduce your artwork titled "First", but they cannot reproduce the energy of "First" into a new artwork with new ideas, maybe titled "Second".
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