Week 4 Reproduction Essay
This week we looked over the essay, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, by Walter Benjamin. Overall, I felt that this essay was interesting to think about, but also confusing. I believe that the main point of this essay was arguing the effect of manipulation and mass reproduction from original art and how it loses its aura.
Through in the essay Benjamin acknowledged the reality of artistic reproduction throughout history, but suggests that mechanical reproduction had introduced an entirely new and revolutionary change in experiencing art. In the essay, Benjamin refers to how photography is another form of reproduction. He claims that although something like a photograph captures a moment more accurately, it is a moment that can be altered by the positioning, lighting, lenses, etc. This kind of reproduction loses the traditional value and historical proof of the art it its original form. In the essay he states, “A painting when drawn can have cultural or emotional attachment between the artist and the subject and what the artist feels about it at the time.” Yet, something like a photograph can be manipulated to suit a certain audience at different times portraying different meanings. I think to Benjamin he would think that the piece would lose its original aura. So based off the reading I think that Benjamin is saying that art will lose its value and sense of uniqueness or value due to mass reproduction.
I chose this piece of art because I felt that I should have said something about this piece as a reproduction from class. After rereading the essay and thinking about how reproduction and the essence of aura, I see his argument in a way, but I also do not. In class we argued weather or not the reproduction took away from the aura of the original. As someone that enjoys original art, I would say yes and no. I see this to be a matter of opinion and maybe this was the takeaway from the reading though. Someone in the class had mentioned that even though someone may have a reproduction it does not mean it is any less valuable to them. On the other side, I see what that aura may fade with reproduction. The uniqueness of an original artwork that will never be reproduced makes something more valuable both in terms of money and to someone and how they felt about the piece. To me, the aura of a piece of art is what you make of it. Who am I to determine what has a true aura or not?
https://fabulousmasterpieces-blog.co.uk/chinese-copies-of-famous-paintings-what-you-need-to-know/ (image source)
Brenden I would have to agree the Benjamin was saying artworks loose their aura when they are overly reproduced. He also claimed the reproduction made it more accessible to the masses. He stated many pros and cons to the revolution of reproduction. I think viewing a reproduction is a more dull experience than the original but you are exactly correct it all comes down to personal preference and opportunity. I think viewing reproductions can be educational as well; the exact reason we are viewing all the works.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenden,
ReplyDeleteI like how you addressed Benjamin's idea's about photography in your blog. I didn't agree with Benjamin when he assaulted photography by saying that it "freed the hand of its most important functions which henceforth developed only upon the eye looking into a lens." I was a photography major in undergrad, and a I know that a lot of thought goes into composing a shot and a lot of work goes on in the darkroom - or at least it did before digital photography. Trying to get the same photo more than once is not always possible depending on the quality of the negative. With the advent of digital photography, Photoshop became my darkroom, and that too required a certain amount of skill to manipulate the photograph to meet the needs of the artist. So, I would argue that an original photograph would also have an aura. What is your opinion on the idea that an original photograph has an aura in the same way Benjamin claims a painting has an aura? I would have liked to hear your thoughts about these ideas a little more.
You had a few mistakes with grammar that I noticed, but I thought overall your blog was well written. Check your word count before you post, you're only 58 words short of meeting the minimum, that's probably 3-5 more sentences.
~Meg