Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction Summary
"The Work of Art on the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" by Walter Benjamin was published in 1936, the inter war flow. "Having experienced Fascism and the fascist utilize of media in Germany" [from Media & Cultural Studies Keyworks ed. by Durham and Kellner] Benjamin speaks to the transformation of the Marxian superstructure which he observed "has taken more than than a half century to manifest in all areas of civilization the modify in the conditions of production". Reflecting on the function of fine art in the 20th century, he explores a theory of art and the "useful formulation of revolutionary demands in the politics of art." [Preface] Since showtime reading this essay fifteen years ago, I've always been struck by its prescience and continual resonance in the digital historic period, so please forgive the length of this provocation across the recommended 2-iii paragraph weblog post.
Benjamin asserts that the piece of work of art has always been reproducible, but is quick to signal out that mechanical reproduction, i.east., Marxian Capitalist mechanistic reproduction, through photography and motion picture, represents something new. Benjamin discusses the profound repercussions that reproduction of works of art through photography, and the 'art of the moving picture' have had on art in its traditional form. [Section I] Given this context, what are your thoughts on Benjamin'due south argument that "even the most perfect reproduction of a work of fine art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be," or in Benjamin-ian terms, its "aureola". [Department II] Benjamin further clarifies and defines the term "aura" of the work of art as "that which withers in the historic period of mechanical reproduction". Do you agree or disagree?
For this provocation, I'll use an example from art: does Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa cease to exist the Mona Lisa if we remove her from the rooms in which Leonardo painted and her patron intended her or the Louvre where she has resided for many centuries and still resides today? For example, more specifically, an enlarged and interactive Mona Lisa is currently on display in the windows of style conglomerate LVMH at 5th Ave. and 57th Street and she even winks. She is featured in a collection of luxury leather products designed by artist Jeff Koons entitled "MASTERS" that retails for approx. $585.00 – $four,000.00. Hither's a recent photo of the display:
Mona Lisa is likewise currently on brandish at my local mall via a jacket pattern:
Do you retrieve such reproduction erodes, or conversely, enhances the Benjamin-ian aura of this work of fine art?
Benjamin attributes social bases for the "gimmicky decay of the aura" and that these "residuum on two circumstances, both of which are related to the increasing significance of the masses in gimmicky life." [Section Three] What are your thoughts on this?
While the contemporary cult of the Mona Lisa carries on in our mod way world today, Benjamin states that "originally, the contextual integration of art in tradition found its expression in the cult" and he clarifies, "in other words, the unique value of the 'authentic' piece of work of fine art has its basis in ritual, the location of its original utilize value" and he proceeds with "an earth-shaking insight: for the first time in globe history, mechanical reproduction emancipates the work of art from its parasitical dependence on ritual." Benjamin and then points out a paradox that "to an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility." Cautioning, he qualifies this with: "But the instant that the criterion of authenticity ceases to be applicable to creative production, the total part of art is reversed. Instead of existence based on ritual, it begins to be based on some other practice – politics." [Section IV] Do you lot recall the post-millennial office of art is i of ritual, politics or both? Can you cite examples of works of art to illustrate your betoken of view?
The Cyberspace, and our use of it, are for us, in my opinion based upon Benjamin, the ultimate mechanical reproduction of art and exhibition space (another important concept to Benjamin). Acting every bit the mass which "is a matrix from which all traditional behavior toward works of art problems today in a new course" [Section XV] the Internet'due south inherent mechanical reproduction is the ultimate emancipation of fine art, and I'd add, also its paradoxical enslavement of art to the new rituals of clicking, copying, pasting, scanning, uploading, downloading, swiping, posting, re-posting, tweeting, re-tweeting, liking, favorite-ing and deleting.
While it is easy for me to grasp the degradation of the Benjamin-ian aura in the piece of work of art, considering all one has to do is photocopy the Mona Lisa from an fine art volume or re-create it from a website and see the loss of resolution and aesthetic quality with each generation, one must enquire rhetorically how Benjamin foresaw this without the benefit of Xerox, Photoshop, the World Broad Web, apps such equally Instagram and filters. Do you find "The Work of Fine art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" equally forward thinking every bit I exercise? Does it concord up in the digital age?
I cannot overlook that this provocation is assigned and intended for the readings for our Sept. 11 course, and it brings to mind some remarks made by the writer of "Prozac Nation" Elizabeth Wurtzel. They struck me then and still practise now, equally reminiscent of the Epilogue in which Benjamin theorizes that war is the ultimate work of art. Wurtzel was asked about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 in February 2002 during an interview to promote her volume More, Now, Again by the Toronto World and Mail in the context of her residency close to the World Merchandise Center, and she commented as follows: 'I had non the slightest emotional reaction. I thought, this is a really strange art project…it was a most amazing sight in terms of sheer elegance. It fell like water. Information technology simply slid, like a turtleneck going over someone's caput.' (Her comments set off a daze wave and probable caused her movie for "Prozac Nation" fabricated by Miramax not to exist released.) For me, these comments brought to mind words of Benjamin I have difficulty typing and relaying that "state of war is beautiful" and that "through gas warfare the aura is abolished in a new way." Writing in his time and identify, Benjamin quotes Fascism "Fiat ars – pereat mundus" (translation: let art be created, though the globe perish) which was the Fascist spin on "fifty'art pour l'art" (art for art's sake) and concludes past conjecturing "war to supply the creative gratification of a sense of perception that has been changed by engineering." [Epilogue] Exercise you find this to exist the logical and likely post-Marxian evolution?
Related Video Clip: Does this video of LVMH's Titian window (detail from the painting of Mars, Venus and Cupid) decay its aura or enhance it?
Related Resources:
"Jeff Koons'due south New Line" by Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times, Apr xi, 2017
"The Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Bags May Exist My To the lowest degree Favorite Designer Collab Always" by Amanda Mull on purseblog, Apr 13, 2017
"Release Me" by John Harris, The Guardian, July 17, 2004
"Mona Lisa & an Iguana on fifth" by Carolyn A. McDonough, on CultureArtMedia, September one, 2017
somervilleinceed55.blogspot.com
Source: https://itpcore1fall2017.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/07/the-work-of-art-in-the-age-of-mechanical-reproduction-by-walter-benjamin/