I chose the text “The Work of Art in
the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by Walter Benjamin (1936)
Key points and Quotes:
The author’s tone of voice implies he
is against reproduction because he says how it destroys the aurora of artworks.
“Even the most perfect reproduction of
a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its
unique existence at the place where it happens to be.”
“Guided by the cameraman, the camera
continually changes its position with respect to the performance. The sequence
of positional views which the editor composes from the material supplied him
constitutes the completed film.”
“Also, the film actor lacks the
opportunity of the stage actor to adjust to the audience during his
performance, since he does not present his performance to the audience in person.”
“However, the singularity of the shot
in the studio is that the camera is substituted for the public. Consequently,
the aura that envelops the actor vanishes, and with it the aura of the figure
he portrays.”
“In contrast, the distracted mass
absorbs the work of art. This is most obvious with regard to buildings.”
When people concentrate on a piece of
art they are connecting with it but when masses pass a piece of art they do not
see it as a piece of art.
Coins are one of the earliest pieces of
artwork that were mass reproduced
With film the actor is disconnected
from the audience instead the camera is a replacement for the audience
The invention of film is also a threat
to traditional and cultural values as like with photography replacing the painting,
film replaces the theatre.
Art used to be based on ritual in which
the piece of artwork would be ritualistic and have an aura about it whereas in
the modern day due to the rise of reproduction the purpose of art is no longer
ritualistic but political.
250 word summary of the text:
I think what Walter Benjamin is trying
to say in this piece of text is that the purpose and the audience of art has
changed a great deal due to the process of reproduction. A case of this would
be the fact that art used to be based on ritual in which the piece of artwork
would be ritualistic and have an aura about it whereas in the modern day due to
the rise of reproduction the purpose of art is no longer ritualistic but
political. The reason for this is mainly due to the invention of photography with
in turn implies the rise of reproduction. The effect of reproduction on art is
not only limited to paintings but to other art forms such as theatrical plays.
The invention of film is also a threat to traditional and cultural values as
like with photography replacing the painting, film replaces the theatre.
Benjamin also says how art is now ignored most of the time, as people don’t
view it as art, they are not connecting with it. “In contrast, the distracted
mass absorbs the work of art. This is most obvious with regard to buildings”. The
author’s tone of voice implies he is against reproduction because he says how
it destroys the aurora of artworks, “Even the most perfect reproduction of a
work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its
unique existence at the place where it happens to be.”
