OUIL501 - Study Task 3

Summary of Walter Benjamin's The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Benjamin, W, 1936)

Speedpaint #22by Sylar113

Benjamin suggests that the way we reproduce art is changing as technology advances. He states that 'Around 1900 technical reproduction had reached a standard that not only permitted it to reproduce all transmitted works of art and thus to cause the most profound change in their impact upon the public; it also had captured a place of its own among the artistic processes.' Suggesting that not only does mechanical reproduction affect the impact that art has on the viewer, but also how artists produce work. The piece of work shown above is a digital painting meant to mimic the aesthetic of an actual physical painting. Digital painting is becoming much more popular as an easy way of producing highly detailed works of art, as an unlimited amount of materials and techniques are contained in one computer program. He also says that 'One might subsume the eliminated element in the term “aura” and go on to say: that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art.' Because digital art is so easy to produce, it is often perceived as less deserving of praise compared to analogue methods of production, the painting above would be perceived very differently if it was not digital. The aura of a piece of work represents its originality and authenticity, 'One might subsume the eliminated element in the term “aura” and go on to say: that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art.' Benjamin also argues that 'The uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being imbedded in the fabric of tradition. This tradition itself is thoroughly alive and extremely changeable. An ancient statue of Venus, for example, stood in a different traditional context with the Greeks, who made it an object of veneration, than with the clerics of the Middle Ages, who viewed it as an ominous idol.' Meaning our perception of art is affected by society and historical context, art may be perceived in different ways by different people when it is in a certain context and the uniqueness of an art work is also determined by the context in which it exists. For example, digital work that is posted online may often be seen as less unique than work that is shown in a gallery context, because of the type of work that is often shown in a gallery context.