1) The first original sentence.
2) The second original sentence.
3) The first original sentence containing two previous original sentences.
4) The first original sentence.
5) The first original sentence.
6) The first original sentence.
7) The first original sentence.
8) The first original sentence.
9) The first original sentence
10) Here are written 10 original sentences.
Is the meaning much the same in each sentence or the meaning is significantly different?
What is originality?
Original is present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest.
Original is created personally by a particular artist, writer, musician, etc.; not a copy.
Original is not dependent on other people's ideas; inventive or novel.
Oxford Dictionaries [Online] Available from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/original
[Accessed 23/02/19]
This exercise was for each of hundreds of thousands of people on my University who took this course. So, I assume that it is not an original piece of discussion because many students were researching with equal borders of 10 “original sentences”. To continue this idea – all kind of examples of “10 sentences” doesn’t contain an innovative idea. In other words “The first original sentence.” is not original in its bases as an author of the teaching materials motivated me to write it, as he motivated all other students. The author had an idea to use this way of explanation to people – what is original and what is not. I didn’t come up with this structure of 10 similar sentences thus all written above cannot be original from the beginning.
But now we can imagine that this tack is formulated by me and wholly innovative. In this context, I can discuss the subject of written words. About physical object, I believe it is easier to identify an original work as it would be in the context of time and space. (1) But here we also erased the context of this task (time and place - no me with this exercise and no University).
“The first original sentence” is the beginning of this discussion. It was written at the beginning and it’s claimed as number one out of 10. This precedent was at the same time earliest and contained my independent idea. “The second original sentence” is also original as an idea of first written words is different and changes the sense of the previous statement, as it becomes multiple originalities. But at the same time as it is declared that it is only the second - it modifies the value of the first sentence. At the same time, it originally states that before was something more important or opposite, for instance now, are so many replicas of the originality so there no sense of the unique piece as the principals of the original piece is not clear.
Short conclusion out of this:
- A copy of the original also can be seen as an original because of the different purpose of creating;
- A copy can influence the context and meaning of the original work and even change it;
- A copy can add value to the original work;
- It should be clear how to judge originality and what is valuable in the first work and if it should be important.
The same would be repeated for numbers 3 and 10.
Number 4 is one to one state the same meaning The first original sentence. and The first original sentence. If we delete the context (time and space) we would not be able to identify which one is original. BUT! I know, as I’m an author. I can confirm the first written one is original and the second is not. So the role of the creator is very important in this identification. The first sentence I typed mechanically, each letter but all the others I just copy and paste. Thereby repetition is reducing the value of the copies but not always the original, the first piece. Here the first copy of the original can be as an independent object with separate meaning from all the other copies because the first copy is also can be unique.
But from 5 to 9 sentences clearly pretend to be the first ones but they are repeating the idea and were written after “The first original sentence.” In other words, the meaning of the first “writing” is presenting something new and unique. Even sentences number 2, 3, 4 and 10 are unique in their meaning, but numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are repeating already existing idea and doesn’t create anything new and interesting.
Short second conclusion out of previous:
- Author (creator) can always confirm what was first and original;
- The originally made piece, the first piece is most likely more valuable than manufactured after the first one;
- Copy itself can have value and separate meaning from the original work.
Marina WitteMann, 5 apples, 2016, 95 х 75 cm., hardboard, acrylic, varnishes, (monotype)
Bibliography and references
1. Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, In: Illuminations, edited by Hannah Arendt, translated by Harry Zohn, from the 1935 essay New York: Schocken Books, 1969 [Online]
2. Ackbar Abbas, Faking Globalization. The Visual Culture Reader edited by Nicolas Mirzoeff, 3rd edition. 2013 Routledge, Abingdon
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