I chose to analyze on of Marcel Duchamp’s Rotoreliefs (Optical Disks) made in Paris, 1935. The impact of this piece is changed when it becomes a print, because it can no longer serve its’ original purpose as a toy. However, when looking at it as just a piece of art, the copy can be enjoyed just as much as the original.
Seeing the print of the piece made me realize that sometimes its easier to own the copy rather than the original. The print becomes a memory of your first interaction with the original, while the original sits as its’ own being, adorned with the energy of its’ creator and all hands that have touched it. Consequently, I believe that the memory you hold on to through the print can be just as important as having an attachment to the original.
Seeing and understand the connection that people can hold to both an original piece of art and its’ adaptations/replicas showed me that you can’t fairly the two. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
