Perception and originality is everything, this is the message that Walter Benjamin stressed in his article Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.This brilliant man shed light on how originality is drifting away due to the invention of the camera which caused loss of aura and authenticity. Many people had a hard time grasping the concepts that Benjamin was trying to project in his article so a man by the name of Mike Poster developed a film called The Aesthetics of Distracting Media to help viewers understand the message that Benjamin was trying to share with his audience through his immense use of comparisons and analogies. Although these two people themselves have different perceptions of how they view are they can still reach an agreement on how many people blindly see works of art and are fooled into believing that a replica of a piece of heart has equal value of an original piece of art. These two men stressed how important it was to recognize true art in different environments and also how people perception of true art has shifted throughout the years.
The two readings, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin and The Aesthetics of Distracting Media by Mike Poster, are very contradictory. The first reading seems to challenge the second reading. In the first reading, Benjamin thinks that the reproduction of the filmic work of art is possible but reproduction do not have the same value and originality as the original work of art. Poster thinks the reproduction completely destroys the traditional form of art. Also, Benjamin pointed out that cameras can enhance the meaning of traditional art. Poster thinks that cameras intervene between the actor and the audience. Therefore, cameras destroy the traditional form of art. Poster also states that the viewer of film must have a 'heightened presence of mind' to follow the shifts in perspective affgorded by montage and shifts in the position of cameras. However, according to Benjamin, the audience does not need to have a heightened peace of mind to follow the shift in prospective.
In Ways of Seeing by John Berger, the video agrees with Benjamin in how cameras can have different prospective of audiences. Cameras provide different ways to see the audiences from different angles. Therefore, it does not destroy the traditional art. It only changes the meaning.
In the essay by Walter Benjamin, he describes aura to be a unique atmosphere that cannot be replicated. He uses aura to describe how each piece or art is original and it brings its own original and authentic atmosphere. In the video “Ways of Seeing” it explains how music can change how a work of art is viewed, music changes the mood or aura of the piece. Along with music, commentary also changes the atmosphere of an artwork. The video also showed how silence when viewing art intensifies the experiences, it gives the admirer time to really process and evaluate every detail of the work. The aura of an artwork is adjusted or changed through replication; being in the actual original presence of an artwork allows one to experience its actual meaning and aura that was intended. The reproduction of art manipulates its original meaning and oral through the way it is presented. Benjamin argues how almost every aspect of a piece of art is altered through film. These aspects include the aura, culture, and authenticity.
In Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, he says that if a work of art were to stay authentic, it has to be based in ritual. The ritualistic basis should still be able to stand out right away, if it isn’t there that means that work has been tampered with and no longer has an authentic basis to it. If for example, there was a photograph taken, you can make endless copies of the single image, but if there was a painting that becomes a lot more challenging as far as having to recreate the same image. What he was trying to get at was that, once there is a painting recreated/repainted, the original piece is the only item that holds true to the authenticity, whereas the copies don’t. For example, the Mona Lisa is an original piece of art that millions have tried to copy and sell for a really high price. Which are ridicules because there are certain aspects that art dealers can look at to tell if the piece is original or not. And that comes back to the authentic part of what Benjamin is trying to say, you cannot take an original piece and try to recreate it.
Art is a topic that can be discussed as both an argument and a way of connecting the wonderful ideas of two or more people. Art is seen through the world around us and can be interpreted in many different ways. Many may take the side of Walter Benjamin and state that reproduction of art can tamper with the originality of many works of art. Many people have argued the same such as Mike poster who stated that art is demolished by the mocking reproductions. In the end it comes down to a person’s own opinion of how art is portrayed. Some like to reinvent different works by imitating original pieces and putting their own touches to it. Others choose to just admire and stand in awe at the beauty of original pieces. As time has progressed individuals have advanced and used new technology to find a way of making art more modern by using tools such as cameras. Cameras help to capture a moment and share with others that were not present at a particular moment in time. Things such as editing have emerged due to the creation of cameras. The more society grows the more the way that art will be further constructed and understood, people’s thoughts of originality and authenticity will continue to fade as technology grows.
In Ways of Seeing by John Berger, the video agrees with Benjamin in how cameras can have different prospective of audiences. Cameras provide different ways to see the audiences from different angles. Therefore, it does not destroy the traditional art. It only changes the meaning.
In the essay by Walter Benjamin, he describes aura to be a unique atmosphere that cannot be replicated. He uses aura to describe how each piece or art is original and it brings its own original and authentic atmosphere. In the video “Ways of Seeing” it explains how music can change how a work of art is viewed, music changes the mood or aura of the piece. Along with music, commentary also changes the atmosphere of an artwork. The video also showed how silence when viewing art intensifies the experiences, it gives the admirer time to really process and evaluate every detail of the work. The aura of an artwork is adjusted or changed through replication; being in the actual original presence of an artwork allows one to experience its actual meaning and aura that was intended. The reproduction of art manipulates its original meaning and oral through the way it is presented. Benjamin argues how almost every aspect of a piece of art is altered through film. These aspects include the aura, culture, and authenticity.
In Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, he says that if a work of art were to stay authentic, it has to be based in ritual. The ritualistic basis should still be able to stand out right away, if it isn’t there that means that work has been tampered with and no longer has an authentic basis to it. If for example, there was a photograph taken, you can make endless copies of the single image, but if there was a painting that becomes a lot more challenging as far as having to recreate the same image. What he was trying to get at was that, once there is a painting recreated/repainted, the original piece is the only item that holds true to the authenticity, whereas the copies don’t. For example, the Mona Lisa is an original piece of art that millions have tried to copy and sell for a really high price. Which are ridicules because there are certain aspects that art dealers can look at to tell if the piece is original or not. And that comes back to the authentic part of what Benjamin is trying to say, you cannot take an original piece and try to recreate it.
Art is a topic that can be discussed as both an argument and a way of connecting the wonderful ideas of two or more people. Art is seen through the world around us and can be interpreted in many different ways. Many may take the side of Walter Benjamin and state that reproduction of art can tamper with the originality of many works of art. Many people have argued the same such as Mike poster who stated that art is demolished by the mocking reproductions. In the end it comes down to a person’s own opinion of how art is portrayed. Some like to reinvent different works by imitating original pieces and putting their own touches to it. Others choose to just admire and stand in awe at the beauty of original pieces. As time has progressed individuals have advanced and used new technology to find a way of making art more modern by using tools such as cameras. Cameras help to capture a moment and share with others that were not present at a particular moment in time. Things such as editing have emerged due to the creation of cameras. The more society grows the more the way that art will be further constructed and understood, people’s thoughts of originality and authenticity will continue to fade as technology grows.
Cynthia,Allen,Albert,Jennifer, and Emely are all freshman students at CSUN