this is the remix!

here are some collages. feel free to view them. there is even an essay commenting on them. but before you go and check them out, may you would enjoy some light reading?... (now, on with the show!)
these collages are not your average cut paper collages... or even the modern collages created with photoshop. these are web collages
(just kidding... get it; remix?!)

the idea of the act of mixing and remixing, using samples to create new works that both reference old works and create new ones is discussed in the essay about the hybrids at 0100101110101101.org. In the article Hyland states, "Eventually recombining and remixing is likely to become so prevalent that it will be all but impossible to even identify the original source of samples, making questions about authorship and origins largely irrelevant..."
remixes are very popular, not only in the visual arts, but maybe even more so in music. remixing has become an art in itself, and sampling is still just as prevelant as it was when it began to be used. But in music now, samplers have to pay royalties to use parts of other's work. this makes getting exactly the sample you want a much more trying task, especially if the original artist is asking a lot of money for the rights.
the same may be true in the visual arts, but it is easier to get around the legal issues, especially digital images. with the aid of the internet finding images to use is as easy as a click of a button (with sites like google images) then one can use a picture and as long as it is altered enough to not be clearly recognised, the copier will most likely get away with it (unless the original artist studies the peice closely).
the idea that remixes will make ideas like authorship and original sources obsolete seems pretty far fetched to me. no matter how obscure the sample may be, there is someone out there that knows. even if the source is hidded to the general audience.