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THE END

"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, has become a standard reference for any attempts to analyze and understand the interrelation of political, technological, and artistic development under capitalism. His insights are especially useful for the political analysis of film."

- from Jump Cut, Richard Kazis

Walter Benjamin

Mass Production

Born: July 15th, 1892

Death: Suicide/September 26th, 1940

Religion: Judaism

Occupation: Literary philosopher, critic, radio broadcaster, essayist

Walter Benjamin focused on idealism and romanticism. Later on, switched to Marxism in the 1930s.

- Perceptions change based on natural and historical circumstances.

- The act of reproducing a work of art dimishes the art/value.

- Seeing a work of art reproduced in a magazine diferes from seeing the orignial work of art in person.

- People's perceptions of creative works change, and our thoughts will change based on our ability to mass produce.

The Aura

Reproduction

The concept of “aura,” which is one of Benjamin’s most influential contributions, is best understood in terms of these tensions or oscillations. He says that “aura” is a “strange web of space and time” or “a distance as close as it can be.” The main idea is of something inaccessible and elusive, something highly valued but which is deceptive and out of reach.

- The best reproductions of art lack the presence in time (history of its existence) and space (viewing art in its authetic form) of the artwork.

- Manual Reproduction: there are always discrepancies from the original due to error.

-Technical reproduction- the copy looks identical to the original. It allows for many copies to be created.

Ex. Copies of art in a museum

Van Gogh "Starry Night"

Exhibition Value- Photography

WALTER BENJAMIN

Duplication

In photography, exhibition value begins to displace cult value all along the line. Exhibition value photography captures a historical movement, and it coveys a stronger realistic aspect. It is how the image is exhibited and consumed.

Photo taken of 9/11

Someone's art can't be duplicated perfectly, so even if a painter or a photographer tries to copy a famous work, they are still applying their own personal aura to their work of art. It will not be the same, and it will have its own uniqueness to the work of art.

Original vs. copy

Cult Value- Photography

In cult value, our ability to mechanically reproduce works of art has shifted the emphasis from the cult value of the work of art to exhibition of art. The cult of rememberance of loved ones, absent or dead, a last refuge for the cult value of the picture.

Film and Psychoanalysis

Walter Benjamin supported Freud and psychoanalysis.

Why?: He believed that using film by pausing or slowing down to view details could be very influential in psychoanalysis.

- "The camera introduces us to unconscious options optics as psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses." ~Walter Benjamin

Photo taken of Albert Einstein

MAT 103

By Alexa Thompson

Photo by Eugene Atget above shows the optical unconscious

Triumph of

Exhibition Value

Art of Film

- As cult value diminshes, a historical exhibition value takes over.

-Photographs become historical records, even though the artist took them as works of art.

Theater vs. Film

Stage Acting vs. Film Acting

Example: Photography by Eugene Atget who took photographs of deserted Paris streets. It was a visual between past and present Paris.

- Film-making is incredibly technical, but it comes together to portray reality more closely than theater.

On stage performance vs. On Screen Performance

- Film experience is superficial

- It is edited, shot in real life representation, illusions

-Painter and Magician are like theater actors.

Theater: The audience sees what they CHOOSE to focus on.

- There is interaction between the actor and the audience.

Film: The audience sees what the CAMERA shows.

-There is NO interaction between the actor and the audience because they are just acting in front of some sort of screen.

Stage:

- Aura of the actor and the role he plays connects with the audience.

- Actor identifies himself with the character/role.

Film:

- Aura of role is gone, left with just the actor and his persona as an actor.

- Film is composed of many separate, edited performances that are altered and redone by technology.

photo credit Nasa / Goddard Space Flight Center / Reto Stöckli

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