SEMINAR 2 - Technology / Mechanical Reproduction

TECHNOLOGY - REPRODUCTION


ESSAY - W. Benjamin - THE WORK OF ART IN THE AGE OF MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION


ORIGINAL / COPY - this dynamic is the important question, fine line
Argument that the copy challenges the status of the original or that the copy produces the idea of the original. 


Mechanical Reproduction - systems of mass production, more specifically the introduction of lithographic print then after that, photographic print reproductions which was new in 1936 - new print inventions. 


THE ESSAY - outline
The effect that reproductive photographic print productions have on art. 
Hitler was in charge of Germany when he was writing this. 
Nazi's doesn't like MARXIST philosophers so it was shut down, he shot himself when he was on the run, just before he died he scribed down all the thoughts that he wanted to get out 'thesis on the philosophy history'
Victim of the Nazi regime and Fascism - he writes against the rise of this. 
The essays is a discussion of humanity instead of art - elements of humanitarianism, sociology, social philosophy. 


Task in Seminar - given a section and read in depth and pick out the main sentences then research further on the internet then give a presentation to the group about what it is about. 


TRADITIONAL WAYS OF LOOKING / THINKING ART ART - AURA

• Traditional
• original
• creativity
• genius
• value
• mystery
• authenticity
• authority

Section II: SUMMARY

In this section Benjamin is referring to the mechanical reproduction of original artworks (like looking at a photograph of van Gogh’s Night Cafe; elsewhere he will be referring to mechanically produced art, such as film) What is lacking in every reproduction of a work of art? An original artwork can claim to be ‘authentic’, but authenticity is outside the realm of technical reproducibility. Why (Benjamin gives two reasons)? How does Benjamin define authenticity on page 221 and how is it jeopardized by mechanical reproduction? What, finally, is ‘really’ jeopardized by mechanical reproduction? What is it that withers in the age of mechanical reproducibility? How and why? Read very carefully at this point. How is the capacity of reproductions to bring objects nearer to viewers related to the rise of mass movements? How does film bring things nearer to ‘the people’?

DISCUSSION OF ESSAY

PREFACE - important and complicated

• Mode of production is a capitalist game
• when you change the base you change the superstructure - over a period of time (Industrial Revolution) the superstructural forms are (ways of thinking, consciousness, art, literature) have not changed yet. 
• Prognostic requirements (remedies for the disease)
• Not speculating what art will look like...
• Analysing what is happing to Capitalist art as a result of productions of change
• Capitalism was very young, ultimately capitalism will create the conditions for capitalism to be destroyed. You are cementing an army that will master and smash the system. 
• OUTMODED CONCEPTS; whose uncontrolled and uncontrollably application will lead to a processing of data in a Fascist sense - they are completely useless for fascism but they are useful in the processes of politics in art 
• creativity
• genius
• value 
• mystery

1ST SECTION

• The idea of something being reproduced (principle) has always existed but the idea of technology means that the reproduction is getting faster and faster
• Greeks - founding and stamping terracotta, coins
• People get more advances, gives a timeline
• Reproductive technological development - as it advances the easier  it gets and the more can be reproduced, now you can reproduce something through the touch of a button or the touch of a hand. Society has found ways to reproduce things more effectively
• Reproductive technology - woodcut, lithography, photography. 
• Gutermberg press - first fix movable type (previously books were written by monks) you could now produce more and more books at a cheaper price, knowledge got spread around the world and access to info was spread meaning more and more people became educated - this is a parallel to the access of reproductions and culture will do for the world. 
• Photograph - makes it possible to reproduce at the blink of an eye, quickly and effectively. 
• Last sentance - relationship between reproduction, art and film. 

POINTS TO PICK OUT - SECTION 2

• This cult of genius relates backs to the cultish characteristics of the aura itself in its absence there is a gravelling for replacement
• a whole new appreciation of art is introduced while at the same time a whole new mode of deception and distraction also enters
• For Benjamin, the aura is dead and it exists in an improbable and mystical place
• In the making of our own myths there in lies an aesthetic interpretation of these reproducible images
• Cameraman for example intervenes with what we see in a way which a painting can never do. It direct the eye to a specific place and specific story a the same time it is radical and revolutionary, it is also totalitarian (relating it to political and humanitarian issues at the time - limiting peoples thoughts, a form of propaganda)
• 'Bust this prison world'
• 'with the close up / space expands  / slow motion - the movement is expanded
• 'Reveals entirely new structural formations of the subject'
• Reproductions are showing people how to see rather than letting people interpret and see what they do from their own will - they are limiting view points and interpretations
• even the most perfect works of art lack the presence of time and space - the unique existence of the place where the artwork was created. 
• The chemical changes over time are an important influence to the value of the artwork and you can tell how old an artwork is because of these changes. 
• The chemical changes and the changes of ownership will change over the years - it is impossible to perform a physical analysis of these two factors on a reproduction. 

PART 2 - DISCUSSION

• 'Secondly, technical reproductions can put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach for the original itself...' - makes things accessible to the common person, the opposite to accessible is inaccessible - culture being in acceptable - value, price, exclusivity - certain galleries are in places in the world which you can only travel to if you have the money. Important thing - reproduction allows culture to come to you rather than you go to culture. This relates to the internet (can extend this essay to be about the work of art in digital reproduction)
• Final paragraph - aura - concept that a work of art is more special that it originally would be because of the way you look at art (see the points at the top of the page). In the era of reproduction...all these notions of looking at art start to wither away - it detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition. It replaces the 1 with the plethora of many - it reactivates the object that is being reproduces - if you go to a gallery and stand in front of a piece of art, you are given an interpretation of the work of art through the plaque next to it, through the surroundings, the peoples talk etc - an institutions meanings that is forced on you. Reproduction at least gives you the opportunity of your own meaning. The meaning of the artwork is different in different surroundings. 
• The tremendous shattering of traditions - all about giving people their own interpretations of meanings. 
• Reproduction allows you greater access to the world (slow motion, snap shot photography - you can see each different part of the moment)

PART 3

• Perception of the aura changes. No matter how close you are you are always distant from the situation. 

PART 4

• Cult Value - as reproduction becomes more and more prevelant, cult value starts to wither and a crisis is felt in art to which it responds with a theology or art (the study of religion)
• The earliest artworks were CAVE paintings - not meant for display, they were in the darkest bit of the cave.
• Then you have religious paintings which was to show special situations / roll on society. 
• Negative theology - as soon as the art is reproduced 
• Example - mona Lisa at the Louve - already at a Palace so you are at ease, you queue up have a look and take a photo - this takes like a quasi religious experience - parallel - the aesthetics of seeing art in a place etc and religion. 
• Responds with Theology of Art - to and ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes designed for reproductionability. (Arts for Arts sake)

PART 5

• The two different values of art / experiences (cult value (more elitists) and the exhibition value (more accessible) 
• The exhibition value goes down and the commercial value spread. 
• Technology changed the nature of the art - a digitally / mechanically reproduced piece of art is easier to exhibit. A work of art generally stays in the same place (move occasionally for different exhibitions) but if they are on the internet then they are there forever and there whenever you want. 
• Experience for the CULT of art - an exhibition, a social event, class parade where you wear certain uniform
• Photography - exhibition value displaces the cult value, the early photography still holds the aura (portraits) people trying to remember their loved one. PHotographs in magazines have are directed with signs etc so we are being told what to think. On one hand the reproductions are making the photography is more accessible but on the other hand what is being written about the photograph tells you what to think...possibility of a totally different style of art emerging...

PART 6

• Everyone can see the art - it almost forms a group opinion / consensus 
• art is becoming less of an expression and more of a business thing (like graphic design) - it is more produced more for the masses rather than a personal expression - in a gallery you cannot fit everyone in the entrance. 
• Comparing the experience of looking art and looking at film
• Idea of a collective experience (cinema) you collectively come to an agreement which bits are funny, sad etc - but this is not the same as the experience of art - people feel alienated by it to the point that they don't like it and feel that it is rubbish. 

KEY POINTS TO TAKE FROM IT...

• BENJAMIN - all of the noted things (tradition, original, creativity, genius, value, mystery, authenticity, authority, institution) - this is the way art is seen, they give art a certain status which is a privileged status in society, we are told that this is important. It values the idea of tradition and the 1 off, that only one persona can process. Genius traditions of superiority. Resorts to mysterious explications to extends itself. 
• EG Mona Lisa - everyone knows about it but no one knows what it means - you have just been told about its qualities and values. What Benjamin is saying is that mechanical reproduction (digital reproduction) causes you to questions these qualities and if anything allows you to access culture and more voices to write culture. Not only do we get more suspicious of all the QUALITIES - as culture makes it more accessible to us, we start to challenge these qualities and add new meanings (LHOOQ - Marcel Duchamp) you can make gesturers very easily that make comments about these things. 
• YOu can make you own meanings rather than one institutions idea of what art is. We can radically redefine what art is. All of the qualities start to look less important if we go and see it because of the huge amount of reproductions, you don't view it in the same way
• Philosophically - what he is saying that the emancipation of society form people who take structure form a certain elite - they start to think for themselves and start to take ownership and make decisions. EG newspapers online - you read a newspaper story, it is just you and the story, you can decide,; online there are discussions online so you have different sides to the story. Now there are 2 models, 1 person who take the story and then the other people that shape it. 
• PREFACE at end - wrong therefore to underestimate the thesis as a weapon. He is not just talking about art, he is talking about a way of thinking that will destroy fascism. 
• All of the concepts (qualities) make it possible for FACISM to emerge - the idea that a mysterious genius can emerge above you, a great leader. If you accept that there is inequality amongst some people, that there are natural leaders. Benjamin is saying that how could people accept this (NAZI's) and a certain way of thinking. If you have DEMOCRACY - shared information and structure
• In terms of GRPHIC DESIGN - you have  medium for the masses, it speaks to them in a language that they understand - medium for the masses - DEMOCRACY - with all the different software technologies it makes it cheaper and easier for it to be a graphic designer. There is nothing like this to be an artists - still clinging to the elitist view. 
• Political significance of GRAPHIC DEISGN - constructavists immediately turn to GRAPHIC DESIGN - new and NEW technologies to allow people to do this. 
• Limited edition prints with signatures - attempts to re-introduce the idea that graphic design could be more artistic, special and usually more expensive
• SANS SERIF - totally neutral, designed to be just plain, so that people would come to it with an equal understanding of it, it is the ultimate communist / demographic piece of design
• The introduction of a hand drawn type is the reversion back to the individual type 
• Dissertation - the concept of AURA could be quite interesting - web based design vs hand drawn design.