The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

According to Walter Benjamin, art has always had the potential of being reproducible; however, it is the introduction of mechanical reproduction that has presented something new. Benjamin traces the history of reproduction with the invention of lithography to photography and film and film with sound. Benjamin believes that art reproduced mechanically lacks a key element namely time and space. The original place in which the piece is representing no longer exists in its pure form. Therefore, as a copy, questions of authorship also come into play for the piece. Furthermore, a reproduced work looses its authenticity which in turn causes it to loose some of its authority. Benjamin continues by explaining that society constantly yearns to be closer to objects that normally are untouchable and therefore uses techniques of reproduction to achieve this goal. Though this removes the uniqueness of the object, the tradition of the object remains embedded. Art is traditionally rooted in ritualistically functions; however, the advent of mechanical reproduction separates art from this bond connecting it to "another practice--politics." Benjamin then talks about the differences between stage and film actors as well as the use of the camera in film. For a film actor, the camera acts as the audience would for a stage actor. Furthermore, the stage actor identifies with his role while the film actor is a compilation of many different pieces of a role. Finally, Benjamin address the effect of reproduction on society. He claims that art demands concentration causing the viewer to be absorbed by it. However, the masses seek distraction which is produced by mechanical reproduction. Therefore, it is difficult to analyze a film or photograph in the same way as a painting for there is a difference between the hand and a machine to produce such art.

Benjamin claims that reproducibility causes art to be based on politics rather than ritual; however, does this mean that the aesthetics of a work of art are lost in the piece's connotation?