Shanken pg 78-96

Shanken makes a statement that I would disagree with when he says that "...it has been argued that technologically reproduced art lacks the aura of an individually handcrafted original..." which he also finishes by saying that these types of works are "...demanding a reconsideration of the definition of art itself (78)."  This is probably a good reason why people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone when they create art, they may be afraid that someone would call their work unoriginal or even that it is not even art. I would argue that technologically reproduced art is indeed art because I believe art can come from any medium and just because it's created by electronic means shouldn't disqualify it as even being called art. Shanken first presents computer art by Ben Laposky's piece called Oscillation #4, which is a unique looking abstraction that I would consider art. A lot of work goes on in electronically based art pieces, it's not just as if the art piece can just spontaneously create itself, there needs to be an artists who comes up with the idea and then begins to execute it any way possible. Many of the same principles for creating art do apply for electronically based art as well, the only difference is one is in a digital space while the other is defined in terms of the space around us.