The Singularity of the Copy

There is something that distinguishes this process from other forms of reproduction I know, such as printmaking and analogue photography. In both cases there is a physical matrix, a plate or a negative, holding the information needed to produce new images. That matrix is material, and therefore it can also change with use or over time.

In KIKAIMA, however, the starting point is a digital file. As long as I do not modify it, the information it contains will always remain the same. Each reproduction will start from identical instructions, and I find that especially interesting: being able to keep the starting point fixed and observe what happens during physical execution. Any differences will have to come from other elements.

For example, the machine's own construction, its small mechanical play or possible deviations may introduce variations. But I think the most interesting ones will come from the painting materials. It is difficult to predict precisely how the hairs of a brush will behave, how ink will spread across the paper or how far a drop will extend. Even with the same movements, the result may be different.

I would like to make an edition of ten drawings using the same composition, without changing anything in the instructions from one to the next. My intention would not be to introduce variations to make each piece different. That belongs to another part of the project: the software can use chance to generate a composition, but once finished, I want it to remain unchanged throughout the entire edition.

My impression, based on the few physical tests I have carried out so far, is that there will be noticeable variations between executions, although perhaps I will be surprised and the results will be much more alike than I expect.

On the other hand, another question that arises for me is the concept of uniqueness. I consider different impressions sharing the same composition, materials and tools to be individual works forming part of the same edition, much like prints in a printmaking edition. They share an origin and a process, but each has its own material existence. Yet if appreciable and distinguishing details emerge in each, the idea of an edition begins, I think, to fade and move closer to that of unique works. My current concern is to understand where the boundary lies between the unique piece and reproduction.