Essay Questions - Walter Benjamin - “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”

What is meant by 'Aura'?

According to Walter Benjamin, aura is a cult quality of art which refers to the uniqueness of art. In the past, art has an aura in it owing to its limited audience and the absence of identical copies. The statue of David, Venus and Mona Lisa had an aura in them. The statues of various gods were confined to the churches and there was no replication of the original. Although the sculptures in the past were appreciated by only priests or few people but they had an aura and spirituality in them. The aura has been lost now because the original art is available everywhere in the form of its authentic identical copies.

What is exhibition value?

The modern art is created on the basis of its exhibition value i.e its economic benefits. The art is available everywhere and it is no more confined to a special place or time. The artists are rapidly producing copies of the original art owing to its public display and for getting monetary benefits. The mechanical production of art has replaced the cult qualities by its exhibition value and the rapid process has urged the artists to compromise on the quality of product as well.

How is art being used as a tool of manipulation?

The modern forms of art has been used by politicians and the capitalists for achieving their desired aims. The politicians are conveying certain ideologies through imparting specific message through art. Films are one such medium through which the masses are being manipulated by the authorities. They foreground a specific issue and convey the ideology of the politicians.The modern art form can also distract the masses and divert their attention. Walter Benjamin has given the example of Eugene Atget for this purpose, who took the photos of empty streets of Paris and they seemed like the photographs of crime scenes.

What are the benefits of modern art form?

According to the author, the modern art forms possess the ability of bringing an upheaval to the capitalistic system. The public can use it as a tool to achieve their desired aims. The mass production of art is capable of spreading a particular message within a shorter span of time owing to its availability to larger audience. The art is being produced mechanically and its rapid reproduction can devastate the power politics.

What does Benjamin mean by the aura of an artwork?

Benjamin argued that '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. ' He referred this unique cultural context i.e. 'its presence in time and space' as its 'aura'.

What does mechanical reproduction mean?

The mass production of identical copies of a text using technological means (i.e. printing). The phrase is particularly associated with Benjamin's 1936 essay, 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' (see aura).

What is the main point of Walter Benjamin's article?

Benjamin's premise that a copy was of higher social significance than an original had a profound effect on postmodern thought and has influenced (in one way or other) a number of late-20th-century art movements, including Pop art, Feminist art, Conceptual art and Appropriation Art.

What is the difference between manual and mechanical or technical reproduction of art How is the original work distinguished from a reproduction?

Manual reproduction (e.g., a painter produces a new painting by copying an original) was originally considered forgery. ... 2) technical/process reproduction can “put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach for the original itself” (527).

What's the importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art?

The mechanical reproduction of a work of art voids its cult value, because removal from a fixed, private space (a temple) and placement in mobile, public space (a museum) allows exhibiting the art to many spectators.

Is Aura a word?

aura n. Distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something. aura n.

Does art reproduction have value?

The majority of reproductions of famous paintings have little value. ... Some reproductions of paintings do have commercial value, particularly if they were published as limited editions. Supply and demand may mean that they increase in value.

What is technological reproduction?

Technological reproduction was something new, wood-cut being one of the earliest technique used in the reproduction of art, contested later in the nineteenth century by lithography. Lithography advanced the reproduction of art by means of numbers as well as variations.

What is definition of art?

English Language Learners Definition of art: something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings. : works created by artists : paintings, sculptures, etc., that are created to be beautiful or to express important ideas or feelings.

Can art be mechanically reproduced?

The artist conceptualizes an idea and transfers this idea from their minds onto something physical and tangible—such as paintings, sculptures and architectures. When art is taken from its original form and reproduced it loses its integrity, value and authenticity; they are merely copies.

How does the idea of the aura relate to perception?

The aura includes a sensory experience of distance between the reader and the work of art. The aura has disappeared in the modern age because art has become reproducible. ... The aura is an effect of a work of art being uniquely present in time and space. It is connected to the idea of authenticity.

When did Walter die?

26 September 1940

What is an original work of art?

Original Art is any work considered to be an authentic example of the works of an artist, rather than a reproduction or imitation. That original may be a painting of some kind, or a sculpture, or a performance work, or one of many other kinds of media. ... Original Art may also mean the first, preceding all others.

Can the visual arts preserve memories?

People often choose to display art in their home for aesthetic reasons, but recent studies have shown that engaging with the visual arts can actually improve stress, memory, and empathy, whether by viewing art or creating it.

What did Walter Benjamin do?

Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin (/ˈbɛnjəmɪn/; German: [ˈvaltɐ ˈbɛnjamiːn]; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic and essayist. ... His major work as a literary critic included essays on Baudelaire, Goethe, Kafka, Kraus, Leskov, Proust, Walser, and translation theory.