Monday, February 8, 2010

A work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction

According to Benjamin, aura is ritual; it is unique existence in time and place. It is about its inherent uniqueness within a work of art.
Interestingly, photography and film are their own form of arts today. Benjamin believed that the reproductions (photography and film) destruct the aura of art (traditional art) which is true but also a revolution of new technology. The accurate and perfect computerized system of reproduction might have influence the hand makers. This leads to certain degree of depression when artists use their hand skill to approach realistic painting that is highly labor intensive thus the painting became more and more abstract to distinguish the humanism against machine.
Benjamin stated that the mechanical reproduction emancipated the work of art from its cult ritual quality. In other words, since this reproduction method has emerged, the authentic quality of the original art work no longer has a same value and aura that it used to have in ritual manner. The significance of the original work of art became less important as the core purpose of art has been altered. We see the copies and copies of art today easier and faster. The aura of the art work that can only be experienced in front of the original work of art is no longer there. Instead, the exhibition value has increased to the public to engage with.
Today, since Benjamin’s departure, there are endless source of abundance in our technological world. It is not surprising now that many artists approach the technology for the money, not for the art. CAD program elevated the computerized art forms to another level, digital media and internet created whole new genre of viewing and observing art. Without any doubt, reproduction process will become much more sophisticated that is beyond our knowledge. But, is it only me that I feel much more attracted to those arts that are hand-made?

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