Krauss analyzes the concept of the medium through the history of photography, and explains how "the age of mechanical reproduction" (Benjamin, 1935) led to the reinvention of the medium in general.

How Krauss in 1999 had predicted the rise of video-content actual for the end of 2010s? Though, she wrote about its prevailing upon photo-content, which is not that accurate, but video-based social media platforms are at the peak of popularity right now (youtube, tik-tok, instagram). Krauss referred to Benjamin's idea that photography always needs a caption. She mentioned that this was conceptual artists' approach to photography, originally taken from photojournalism, but it raises questions about the difference between photography and painting and why one of them could be perceived without the caption and the other could not?

One of the broad themes, which could be seen in Krauss' essay is the question of uniqueness and originality (of the artwork). She, again, refers to Benjamin and states that mechanical reproduction and photography in particular had not only made the work of art possibly be non-original (as in case with photography, which does not have an original, but only copies), but diminished the concept of originality in general, so even old unique objects like paintings and sculptures, are no longer unique. So, it's interesting how mechanical reproduction (and then internet and social media) affected the concept of uniqueness and the artworld in general (because the concept of uniqueness is not fully obsolescent now, it still operates in the field of art).

#photography #cinema #authenticity #originality