Blog Posting #3 - The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction This will be perhaps the most challenging and largest amount of reading for a blog post this semester. I ask you to bear with me. It’s worth it. Walter Benjamin’s essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” is a crucial text in the progression of our understanding of art and culture. Written in 1935, it was Benjamin’s attempt to come to terms with new technologies in art and media and their interaction with society. Benjamin is a tragic figure, a critic and philosopher, who committed suicide when trying to escape from the Nazis in 1940. This is a challenging essay, but it is very much worth your time and thought. Please read the essay and answer the following questions in a post on your blog. These are substantial questions that demand substantial answers. The accompanying essay in The New Yorker by Alex Ross does a nice job of pointing out the contemporary relevance of Benjamin’s work. You might chose to read the Benjamin first, then the Ross, and then return to the Benjamin; you might also read the Ross first as a preview.
1) Can the “mechanical reproduction” that Benjamin discusses be compared to an idea of “digital reproduction” today?
Digital art has a different approach of reproduction. I do not think that mechanical reproduction can be compare to digital reproduction because the process is different. It is not an imitation of an original piece of art, but a modification and transformation of the original piece. Some digital model can use multiple original pieces, which are all blended in like a “melted-pot”, to create a totally original new piece of art. Mechanical reproduction is mostly a replica, if not, it has a similar theme as its original. A digital reproduction can have the same original picture, but the artist might change the tones or the colors to create a new message about the piece. I see digital art not as a mechanical reproduction, but as an original way to change antic art or primary piece and make them more modern in various ways.
2) Explain what Benjamin means when he refers to the “aura” of something.
Benjamin talks about pieces of art having an aura, something that is priceless and never attainable. Great 19th century artists started models and created fantastic pieces of art that modern artist uses today as references. He explains the aura as being somewhat of a shadow on modern art. The aura itself is a lost theme of the 19th century and no artist today can replicate that artistry magic. He says basically that the touch has been lost.
3) Benjamin makes an analogy in the text contrasting the relationship between a magician and a surgeon and the relationship between a painter and photographer. Expand this to the contemporary moment – where would Benjamin put the “digital artist”?
The digital artist would fall above the photographer, but would not surpass the talent of the painter. The question that lies in my mind, just like Walter Benjamin, is whether if photography should be consider as an art and fall at the same level as many famous painters. The reason why I choose to place the digital artist in the middle is because I think that being a digital artist requires the element of creativity. Just like a painter, a digital artist builds their own piece. They use different pixels or image and create an original model. A photographer takes pictures of an original landscape or any other thing he or she thinks might attract viewers. The photographer’s art is mostly a replica of an original thing. It misses creativity and that is why I think it lies below the digital artist.
4) Benjamin ends with a rather stunning Epilogue where he discusses the intersection of war, art, and politics. Do you agree with his assessment, and does it still hold today if so?
War is part of life. The human species were born with the instinct of conquering and having power. It will always exist and it is happening right now. Second- and third-world countries battle against corrupt politics almost every day. It has been proven that during times of war, the finest pieces of art have been created. For example, during the civil-war, many artists used their power as an influence to express their feelings in their paintings, music’s, sculptures or any other type of art. War is an emotional process and artists mostly express themselves better when feelings float around their heads. Politics as always been the instigator of war. It only takes one to get people together and convince them that other political views are either wrong or evil. Hitler can be a very good example of this. Does it still hold today? I would say yes. Like I said before, many countries are in war because of politics. Benjamin explains that war illuminates artist to created art, it gives new ideas and brings creativity and artist today are in deep search for this.
5) Think of some of your favorite pieces of popular culture, keeping in mind Benjamin’s and Ross’s essays. How do you think that the technology of their dissemination affects the meaning of the work?
I believe the technology of the dissemination of today’s popular culture causes people to form perceptions of the works without actually grasping the entire concept. The media does such a good job of advertising things by showing as little of the actual work as possible. They target consumers and audiences which diminishes the value behind the work by not letting it speak for itself based on its worth.
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