Communication and culture: interconnections and impacts

¶ … Reproduction of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." In the first part of the paper, the explanation will be provided and in the second part, arguments given by the other authors will be provided.

Explanation of the argument

"The authenticity of a thing is the essence of all that is transmissible from its beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the history which it has experienced." Since the historical testimony rests on the authenticity, the former, too, is jeopardized by reproduction when substantive duration ceases to matter. And what is really jeopardized when the historical testimony is affected is the authority of the object. One might subsume the eliminated element in the term "aura" and go on to say: that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art." (Benjamin 30).

One of the main facts mentioned by Benjamin is that great change in the perception of art and its usage in the current age of films, photography and cinematography has taken place. Benjamin has highlighted specific details in terms of the modernity that is now being evidenced by the people. How this modernity affects the author has mentioned the art. The author has mentioned that because of a touch of modernity, the art has lost most of its aura. Walter Benjamin has defined aura in detail. Aura is the originality of the work, which is not being efficiently reproduced in the modern age. Two main forms of art that are taken into account by Walter and these include paintings and films. The art forms in the films are lost and these are usually not noticeable by the viewers. However, the changes that are seen in the paintings are very evident. One of the main facts that need to be taken into account is that what does Walter means when it is said that the aura is lost. All kinds of authorities that exist in the work of art are lost when the art form is reproduced in the modern age. Then the question arises, how this aura is replaced once it is lost from the work of art. How the work of art that has lost its aura does manages to make its position in the modern age. There is an increase in the tension between the aura that is lost and the newer modes of perception of the works of art. When authority is lost by the work of art, it usually infers the loss of authority from the work of art. When mass consumption is taken into account, it is seen that this liberation is not seen to be very contingent. There are a number of examples with the help of which it can be explained. In the case of films, it has been seen that a great level of intervention given by the camera operators decides the way in which viewers see the things. This intervention is not seen in the case of paintings. In the case of painting, it is seen that eyes and minds are directed towards specific story and specific side. Thereby, here it can be added that there is a great distraction introduced by these works of art and the distraction becomes an important source of reception.

Evaluation of Benjamin's arguments

1. Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright's "Viewers make meaning"

A number of authors have supported the facts that have been given by Benjamin. One of such authors is Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright who has mentioned the facts in their essay "Viewers make meaning." The facts presented by Sturken and Cartwright are almost similar to the facts given by Benjamin.

Sturken and Cartwright have mentioned that these days the meaning of art is not in the hands of the painter or the creator. The meaning of the art work prodiced is in the hands of thw owners who buy the paintings. One of the main facts mentioned is the meaning and an interpretation of the work of art is more dependent on the owners, who more influence the meaning. From here, the fact presented by Benjamin of influence of capitalism on art is being reasserted (Sturken, Douglas and Cartwright, 75).

2. Lawrence Levine's "William Shakespeare and the American People"

Art is not reflected in the form of painting or films, but writers and literary authors also reflect art. Lawerence Levine has highlighted that the true nature of art that was represented by Shakespeare in his plays continued to dilute since the late nineteenth century. The main roles in this case are played by the changes in the American theatre based on social changes (Mukerji and Schudson 160).

Mass production is the second fact highlighted by both the authors. In the past, the art was unique and the amount of art being produced was much lesser as compared to what is seen in the modern days. Sturken and Lisa Cartwright have highlighted the main sources of dissemination of creative ideas as mass media that include television. Mass production is one of the main reasons of loss of originality and authenticity in art. Folk culture stood dominant in Shakespeare's time which was challenged by the mass production of theatres in the late 19th and 20th century (Mukerji and Schudson 162). With an increase in competition, an increase in the scale of production plays roles in loss of authenticity in art. Thereby, the fact that mass production plays a role in the loss of the aura of the art is agreeable.