POST #13 – READING – DISCUSSION– MARGOT LOVEJOY – THE CAMERA AS ARTIFICIAL EYE AND THE INFLUENCE OF TOOLS

5 Substantial Points

1. Reproduction destroys the artwork’s “aura.” Once images can be copied endlessly, their original meaning and uniqueness fade.
2. Photography made art more accessible but threatened traditional artists. Copies weakened the idea of a one-of-a-kind artwork.
3. New tools changed how art is made. Each new technology changes how artists think and create.
4. Film introduced a completely new way of perceiving art. Movement, editing, and shifting viewpoints changed visual representation forever.
5. Photography pushed painters toward abstraction. Since photos could capture reality, painters explored emotion, feeling, and imagination instead. 

Discussion Question: How is this (early photography) similar to what is happening today with AI?

The situation with ai art today is very similar to when photography first came to be. Just as early photographers faced criticism because people didn’t see photos as “real art,” many artists now argue that ai generated work isn’t "real art". But ai, like photography once did,  speeds up the creative proces, allowing someone to generate artwork in seconds instead of spending hours painting or setting up a photoshoot. It also lets people create anything they can imagine almost instantly, removing technical barriers the same way cameras once did. And just as photography eventually became accepted as a true artistic medium, ai art may follow the same path as society adapts and begins to recognize its creative potential.