Walter Benjamin and the Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Recap of Benedict Anderson and the Imagined Community
Conceptual Recall: In considering the work of Benedict Anderson, students should recall examples of an “imagined community.” This concept explores how individuals feel a sense of belonging to a large group (like a nation) despite never meeting most other members.
Role of Media: Newspapers and novels are central to Anderson's theory. They foster an imagined community by creating a shared experience among a massive, dispersed audience.
Key Examples of Imagined Communities: * National Sports Teams: These serve as a visible representation of the community that members can rally around. * New Sense of Temporality: Media creates a shared clock or calendar. * Simultaneity: The understanding that thousands or millions of people are engaging in the same activity (like reading the same news) at the exact same moment. * Consolidated Linguistic Communities: The standardization of language through print media allows people across various regions to communicate and identify as a single group.
Contextual Overview of Walter Benjamin and "Work of Art"
Historical Significance: Walter Benjamin's essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," has become one of the most famous and influential pieces in the history of cultural criticism.
Structure and Style: The essay is not an easy read; it is written in several small “mini-chapters,” each containing distinct lines of argumentation.
Diverse Range of Topics: Benjamin covers a dizzying array of complex subjects, including: * Apparatus theory. * Contemplation versus distraction. * The differences between film acting and theater acting. * The comparison between painting and film. * The political tension between fascism and communism.
Biographical and Political Context: * Benjamin was a Jewish intellectual living in Europe during the rise of the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler. * As a Marxist thinker, he was deeply concerned with the political possibilities and the inherent dangers of film as a "mass" medium. * The mention of fascism in the very first paragraph of the essay underscores the urgency of his political analysis.
Mechanical Reproducibility versus Handmade Art
Fundamental Distinction: There is a critical difference between a handmade replica and a mechanically reproduced one.
The Problem of the Original: * Handmade Replicas: In principle, any work of art—be it a painting, sculpture, or manuscript—can be replicated by hand. However, each handmade replica will always be unique and slightly different from the original. * Mechanical Technologies: Modern technologies such as photography are distinct because, in these mediums, there is no "original" in the traditional sense. * The Infinite Copy: With photography, an infinite number of prints can be struck from a single negative. Each print is considered the same "text" or work. This stands in direct contrast to a unique piece like the Mona Lisa.
Visual Variations in Reproduction: Even within mechanical reproduction, variations occur. For example, three photographs printed from the exact same negative recorded in might display different tonalities, ranging from light brown to deep purple.
Historical Timeline of Reproduction: * Bronze Cast Coin: Appearing circa the century BC. * Woodcut: Such as those by Albrecht Durer in . * Gutenberg’s Movable Type Printing Press: Established in , which revolutionized the written word.
The Evolution of Artistic Value: Cult Value and Aura
The Concept of Aura: Aura is defined by an object’s singularity, its uniqueness, and its authenticity. It is the "here and now" of the artwork—its unique existence in the place where it happens to be.
Cult Value: This refers to the value of art as an object of ritual and veneration. Traditional art possesses high cult value.
Example: The Mona Lisa: * The relationship of the audience to the Mona Lisa establishes an almost mystical status for the painting. * It is kept behind bulletproof glass, emphasizing its physical singularity. * The very existence of the work is meaningful; viewers travel long distances specifically to "venerate" the original artwork, even though they possess the ability to see images of it in magazines or online.
John Berger’s Contribution: Art historian John Berger produced a documentary (specifically mentioning the film The Man With A Movie Camera from ) that summarizes Benjamin’s observations on the transition from unique, authentic traditional art to art in the age of mechanical reproduction.
The Shift to Exhibition Value
Historical Change in Perception: Benjamin states a general formula: "the technology of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the sphere of tradition."
Core Transformations: * Substitution: Mechanical reproduction substitutes a "mass existence" for a "unique existence." * Accessibility: It permits the reproduction to reach the recipient in their own specific situation. * Proximity: In the past, the viewer had to go to the work (e.g., traveling to a museum). Now, the work comes to the viewer.
Defining Exhibition Value: This is the principle that circulation is more important than the physical presence or ritualistic origin of the work. * Success is measured by how much a film circulates, the number of views on a reel, or how "viral" a post becomes. * Case Study: The World Record Egg: This Instagram post, which garnered likes and helped the account reach followers, is a triumph of exhibition value. It aimed specifically to beat the record of likes held by Kylie Jenner.
Ambivalence: The Political Consequences of the Loss of Aura
Democratization of Art: Reproduction allows art to be accessible to the general masses. This removes the "monopoly" previously held by industrial and capitalist elites who owned the only versions of high-value art.
Capitalist Manipulation: Conversely, when art is stripped of its uniqueness and tradition, it becomes easier to transform into a commodity. Benjamin viewed this as profoundly dangerous, as it can lead to art that is devoid of true contemplation and communal experience.
Contemporary Context (2005 vs. 2013): Modern image-worlds show the ongoing decay of aura. Photography and digital technology ensure there is no "original form." Contemporary audiences (as seen in comparisons of crowds at the Vatican) increasingly view events through the lenses of their mobile devices rather than experiencing the "aura" of the moment directly.
Modern Applications: NFTs and Virtual Reality
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): Benjamin would likely view NFTs as a paradoxical attempt to "force" an aura onto digital works that are inherently reproducible. * NFTs use blockchain to verify authenticity and unique existence for objects lacking physical presence. * Benjamin would argue this transfers value from the art object itself to the fact of ownership and market power, making it a financial commodity rather than a communal experience.
Virtual Reality (VR) Museums: * Optimistic View: Benjamin might appreciate the further democratization of art, liberating it from elitist physical constraints. * Pessimistic View: He would worry that virtual simulations create a "dream state" or a solipsistic retreat into a controlled world. This replaces critical, communal interaction with passive, isolated consumption.
Andy Warhol and Pop Art
Philosophy of No Original: Pop art is fundamentally built on the idea that there is "no original."
Technique: Warhol utilized the lithograph technique of screen printing to create multiple versions of the same image.
Celebrity and Reproducibility: Warhol’s work suggests that movie stars are not famous because people meet them in person, but rather because of the constant reproducibility of their image and likeness.
Discussion Themes and Future Topics
Key Benjamin Quote: "Film is the first art whose artistic character is entirely determined by its reproducibility" (p. ).
Upcoming Lectures: * The second part of Walter Benjamin’s essay. * The concept of the "Optical Unconscious." * The "Shock Effects" of modernity. * Analysis of Charlie Chaplin’s film Modern Times as an illustration of these principles.