Krauss highlights how Coleman uses the "low-tech" slide projector to create complex narratives, forcing a "recursive" examination of the photographic medium.
References: Krauss, R. (1999). Reinventing the Medium. In R. Krauss, The Optical Unconscious (pp. 277-295). MIT Press.
Rosalind Krauss's essay "Reinventing the Medium" offers a provocative and insightful exploration of the changing nature of artistic media. By challenging traditional notions of the medium and highlighting the dynamic and creative ways in which artists work, Krauss encourages us to think more critically about the possibilities of art and the role of the artist in shaping those possibilities. rosalind krauss reinventing the medium pdf
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If you are a student, check your university library’s online database (JSTOR, Project MUSE, or MIT Press Direct). Many public libraries also offer free access to academic journals through interlibrary loan or digital archives. Krauss highlights how Coleman uses the "low-tech" slide
Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers is another pillar of Krauss’s critique. Broodthaers famously declared the "bankruptcy" of traditional mediums. He created fictional museums, using eagles, signage, and packing crates as his formal tools. For Broodthaers, the "medium" became the institutional framework of the museum itself. By manipulating the language of exhibition, cataloging, and display, he invented a medium out of institutional critique. 3. Ed Ruscha and the Automobile
Why does one essay from 1999 still generate so much interest? Because the questions Krauss asked have become even more urgent in the 21st century. We live in an era of deepfakes, AI-generated imagery, and social media platforms that blur the lines between image, text, and video. The concept of the "medium" as a stable, physical category seems almost quaint. Yet Krauss's argument—that the medium must be reinvented , not abandoned—provides a powerful tool for analysis. Reinventing the Medium
Krauss highlights several artists who have successfully navigated this post-medium landscape by creating their own recursive structures:
In her essay and subsequent work, Krauss highlights artists who effectively reinvent the medium, often using "obsolete" technology, drawing inspiration from Walter Benjamin’s idea that the obsolete allows for new artistic potential.
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