Uncertified Copy: The Semiotic Ideologies of Reproduction

Discussion on concepts such as originality, authenticity, and uniqueness, as well as fake, copy, and reproduction often tend to ignore the fact that the status of an original, the procedure of copying, and the evaluation of the reproduction vary across historical epochs and semiotic ideologies. The topic is fraught with cross-cultural, post-colonial, and orientalist complexity: when another civilization is accused of “lacking in originality” or of being “prone to copying,” is there perhaps a bias in such a judgment? The aesthetic value and social role of copying also changes in time and space. A fruitful approach to this subject consists in taking into account the semiotic specificities of originality and reproduction as they are embodied in different media, styles, and expressions. Furthermore, isn’t it possible to innovate through repetition, as Umberto Eco already pointed out in a seminal essay (1985) and, conversely, to be repetitive in innovation? A comparative look at the way in which texts and images are deemed as “authentic” or “copies” across different times and spaces allows for a more nuanced articulation of the topic.