Walter Benjamin, a distinguished aesthetician and literary critic from Germany, published an article entitled “The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. The writing critically examines and appraises the perception of men and women. Walter Benjamin analyzes twentieth century film and photography, deliberating upon the visual experiences of viewers. Perception adjusts over time, as humans culturally evolve. The ways men and women perceive art works change rapidly, similarly to societal trends.
Furthermore, over time, art has evolved. Individuals adopt sources from one another, obtaining concepts, while developing methods and routines. Making slight alterations to invent pieces of their own, art underwent numerous phases and transformations. Basically, learning from witnessing the work of others, people are inclined to assume the practices they observe. As humans, we copy one another. We are habitual creatures and it is safe to assume that no idea is purely “original”.
Additionally, Walter Benjamin approaches the topic of technology through the creation of realistic cinema. Seemingly, as technology advances, the originality and craft qualities once portrayed in film are on the decline. Technologically, cinema is making considerable strides and the effects are more authentic than ever before. However, the techniques and ingenuity are, in a word, minimal.
Moreover, a word Walter Benjamin continuously utilizes in his passage is aura. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines aura as “a distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place”. When Walter Benjamin first introduces this word, he refers to original paintings or visual works as holding a certain unlikeness or history: the piece’s aura. He writes about the manipulation and the mass production of pieces, which unties any emotional value and singularity the work once possessed. Reduplication destroys the aura. In society, it is more monumental to own original pieces than to have copies or prints. There is a certain value that comes with the work. What entices men and women to purchase handcrafted goods? Perhaps it is the history. No one has another copy of the piece. No two artworks are exactly alike.
Likewise, when scenes in cinematography are rehearsed heavily they lose their individuality. Even though they are scripted, each take is different from one another. Actors and producers cannot control each movement and minuscule detail that arises during a take. Not all movements are outlined or orchestrated. Walter Benjamin pronounces that, in this new age of mechanical reproduction, the contemplation of a screen and the nature of the film itself has been altered in such a way that the audience does not contemplates the film per say, but that the film contemplates them. Benjamin argues that, with the domination of mass production, art pieces are failing to be unparalleled.
Do It for the Art 