The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Publisher
"The Work of Art on the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" by Walter Benjamin was published in 1936, the inter war menstruation. "Having experienced Fascism and the fascist use of media in Deutschland" [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 a one-half century to manifest in all areas of culture the change in the conditions of product". Reflecting on the part of 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 kickoff reading this essay fifteen years agone, I've ever been struck by its prescience and continual resonance in the digital age, so please forgive the length of this provocation across the recommended two-iii paragraph blog post.
Benjamin asserts that the work of art has e'er been reproducible, but is quick to bespeak out that mechanical reproduction, i.e., Marxian Capitalist mechanistic reproduction, through photography and film, represents something new. Benjamin discusses the profound repercussions that reproduction of works of art through photography, and the 'art of the flick' accept had on fine art in its traditional class. [Section I] Given this context, what are your thoughts on Benjamin's statement that "even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and infinite, its unique being at the identify where it happens to be," or in Benjamin-ian terms, its "aura". [Section 2] Benjamin further clarifies and defines the term "aura" of the work of art equally "that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction". Do you hold or disagree?
For this provocation, I'll utilise an case from fine art: does Leonardo da Vinci'south Mona Lisa cease to be 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 than 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 fifty-fifty winks. She is featured in a drove of luxury leather products designed past artist Jeff Koons entitled "MASTERS" that retails for approx. $585.00 – $4,000.00. Here's a recent photo of the display:
Mona Lisa is also currently on brandish at my local mall via a jacket design:
Practise yous recall such reproduction erodes, or conversely, enhances the Benjamin-ian aureola of this piece of work of art?
Benjamin attributes social bases for the "contemporary decay of the aureola" and that these "residuum on ii circumstances, both of which are related to the increasing significance of the masses in contemporary life." [Department III] What are your thoughts on this?
While the contemporary cult of the Mona Lisa carries on in our modern way world today, Benjamin states that "originally, the contextual integration of fine art in tradition plant its expression in the cult" and he clarifies, "in other words, the unique value of the 'accurate' work of fine art has its basis in ritual, the location of its original apply value" and he proceeds with "an all-important insight: for the showtime time in earth history, mechanical reproduction emancipates the work of art from its parasitical dependence on ritual." Benjamin then points out a paradox that "to an always greater degree the piece of work of fine art reproduced becomes the work of fine art designed for reproducibility." Cautioning, he qualifies this with: "Just the instant that the criterion of authenticity ceases to exist applicable to artistic production, the full function of art is reversed. Instead of existence based on ritual, it begins to be based on some other practice – politics." [Department IV] Do you think the post-millennial function of art is ane of ritual, politics or both? Can you cite examples of works of art to illustrate your point of view?
The Internet, and our use of information technology, are for united states of america, in my opinion based upon Benjamin, the ultimate mechanical reproduction of art and exhibition infinite (another important concept to Benjamin). Acting equally the mass which "is a matrix from which all traditional behavior toward works of fine art issues today in a new form" [Section 15] the Net'due south inherent mechanical reproduction is the ultimate emancipation of 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 like shooting fish in a barrel for me to grasp the deposition of the Benjamin-ian aureola in the work of fine art, because all 1 has to do is photocopy the Mona Lisa from an art book or copy it from a website and see the loss of resolution and artful quality with each generation, ane must ask rhetorically how Benjamin foresaw this without the do good of Xerox, Photoshop, the World Wide Web, apps such as Instagram and filters. Practise you find "The Work of Fine art in the Historic period of Mechanical Reproduction" as forrard thinking every bit I do? Does information technology concur up in the digital age?
I cannot overlook that this provocation is assigned and intended for the readings for our Sept. xi class, and it brings to listen some remarks made past the writer of "Prozac Nation" Elizabeth Wurtzel. They struck me and then and still do now, every bit reminiscent of the Epilogue in which Benjamin theorizes that state of war is the ultimate work of fine art. Wurtzel was asked well-nigh the events of Sept. 11, 2001 in February 2002 during an interview to promote her book More, At present, Over again by the Toronto Globe and Postal service in the context of her residency close to the World Trade Center, and she commented as follows: 'I had not the slightest emotional reaction. I idea, this is a really strange art projection…information technology was a most astonishing sight in terms of sheer elegance. Information technology roughshod like water. Information technology just slid, like a turtleneck going over someone's head.' (Her comments set off a daze moving ridge and likely caused her movie for "Prozac Nation" made by Miramax non to be released.) For me, these comments brought to mind words of Benjamin I have difficulty typing and relaying that "war is beautiful" and that "through gas warfare the aura is abolished in a new manner." Writing in his fourth dimension and place, Benjamin quotes Fascism "Fiat ars – pereat mundus" (translation: let fine art be created, though the world perish) which was the Fascist spin on "fifty'fine art pour l'art" (art for art'south sake) and concludes past conjecturing "war to supply the artistic gratification of a sense of perception that has been changed by technology." [Epilogue] Do you find this to be the logical and probable 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 Resource:
"Jeff Koons's New Line" past Vanessa Friedman, The New York Times, April 11, 2017
"The Louis Vuitton 10 Jeff Koons Bags May Be My Least Favorite Designer Collab Always" by Amanda Mull on purseblog, April 13, 2017
"Release Me" by John Harris, The Guardian, July 17, 2004
"Mona Lisa & an Iguana on 5th" past Carolyn A. McDonough, on CultureArtMedia, September 1, 2017
Source: https://itpcore1fall2017.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/09/07/the-work-of-art-in-the-age-of-mechanical-reproduction-by-walter-benjamin/
0 Response to "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Publisher"
Post a Comment