90. The Expanded Copy

Copies have consistently been a key part of art history, as has been particularly recognised in scholarship on plaster casts and print culture. Less frequently interrogated, though, is how chains of reproduction formed across multiple iterations of a single image in a diverse range of media.

In taking this broad approach, copies are no longer considered just as singular objects. They are resituated as part of wider chains of reproductions that facilitate material experimentation and dissemination of imagery and designs. Through such explorations, an expanded concept of the copy is realised as a prominent part of visual and material culture.

This panel will explore how the conception and manifestations of the expanded copy have shifted and developed across visual and material culture. Papers are encouraged to explore movement and transformations of images across disciplines, media, time periods and geographies.

Exploring the expanded copy will create space for discussions including:

–        Expanded chains of reproductions, with copies made of copies

–        Patterns of multiple reproductions, particularly with translations into varied media

–        The use and experimentation of materials within the culture of the copy

–        Expanding understandings of different makers, including amateurs and professional firms

–        Reassessment of objects often viewed as ‘low art’, and their dialogue with ‘high art’

Themes: copy, interdisciplinary, reproductions

Lead Convenor: Samantha Lukic-Scott, University of York, United Kingdom

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.