All images CC-BY-NC 4.0 2025
A take on Walter Benjamin’s “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” the following compilation of collages addresses the relationship between art and advertisements. In “Vans Off the Wall,” Dayou Huang argues that authenticity “should be redefined.” Shiyu Yang debates the pros and cons of online reproductions of classical paintings. Wesley Chu employs Ed Ruscha’s signature script in his take on a hair salon advert. Itself a boundary medium, the collage welcomes diverse methodologies and subject matter. Content becomes form and vice versa. – Elena Siemens
Dayou Huang, VANS OFF THE WALL
The loss of authenticity does not have to prevail; instead, it should be redefined by society through our interactions with media. The key message that needs to be discussed is the balance between technological reproduction and human experience. “VANS” has a “chill vibe” and that’s what I think matters the most. – Dayou Huang
Shiyu Yang, When Tradition Meets Advertising
Benjamin argues that with technological reproduction, an artwork’s “aura” is diminished. For instance, the reproduction of classical paintings in online portals reduces these paintings into ‘images’ available to every person but devoid of the originality that makes them unique. – Shiyu Yang
Wesley Chu, “BOLD” Hair Salon
This is a take on the “BOLD” hair salon advertisement. The theme of this collage is creativity and boldness in hairstyles across time and cultures. My font choice for the salon name, “BOLD,” is inspired by Ed Ruscha’s “HONK.” – Wesley Chu