“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Summary PDF

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In his 1936 essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter
Benjamin argued that technological innovations had enabled fundamental changes in
artistic creation and dissemination ("a tremendous shattering of tradition"). Among his
observations was that a breakd...

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In his 1936 essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin argued that technological innovations had enabled fundamental changes in artistic creation and dissemination ("a tremendous shattering of tradition"). Among his observations was that a breakdown in the boundaries between producers and consumers had occurred, whereby everyday people now had the ability to actively engage in the arts like never before. Texts and works of art could be fragmented, recycled and reactivated in new and exciting ways. Write a short essay about how technology has broken down boundaries between producers and consumers in more modern times, focusing on a different field of interest. Consider how these technological changes relate to Benjamin's ideas about aura, authenticity and ritual. With the advent of new technological processes which may facilitate changes in how we create and perceive art, Walter Benjamin wrote “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. In his essay, Benjamin details how the growth of modern reproduction affects both the availability of art and the content itself. One major point in which Benjamin elaborates upon would be the “distance” between the producers and consumers of art. Whereas in the past art had been mainly funded and enjoyed by either the clergy or wealthy philanthropes, art in the “modern” sense would be able to be accessible to everyone through its mass production. While modern reproduction may impact the art’s aura, authenticity, and ties to the past in negative ways, Benjamin values more the new “egalitarian” image of modern art which may be enlightening to the masses. Benjamin goes on to acknowledge that modern means of reproduction “lead to a tremendous shattering of tradition which is the obverse of the contemporary crisis and renewal of mankind”(Benjamin, Pg 4), in which Benjamin refers to the then contemporary crisis of Fascism. While Benjamin constructs a terrific argument for the change in how the masses interact with art, he was limited by his time period of the early 20th century. In the 21st century, music as an artform has almost entirely eliminated the distance between the producer and consumer. With the invention of music recordings, both the frequency of music heard and new music developed has increased dramatically. Whereas in the past, music had been limited to a specific orchestra or concert hall at a specific time, music of any type now can be accessed at any time. In addition, smart devices and their ubiquity in the modern world have allowed music to be streamed or played through millions of devices in an instant. Lastly, modern music is allowed to the consumer at record low costs due to both free streaming services and illegal torrenting. Although much of modern music is free of any deeper themes or morals but are rather comprised of catchy choruses devoid of any meaning (sacrificing music’s innate aura to impact in the modern landscape), on occasion a song is released that provides insight upon the modern political landscape. For example, during the spring of 2018 an artist by the name of Childish Gambino had released a song labeled “This is America” detailing the prevalence of “gun culture” and police brutality towards African Americans in the US.This would be an example of modern

art straying away from its origin in “ritual” and moving towards the “political”. This relates to Benjamin’s statement that mass produced “art will tackle the most difficult and most important ones[issues] where it is able to mobilize the masses”. In his essay, Benjamin is both optimistic and wary of what the future holds for art, and although constrained by his time period he did remarkably well in predicting the new relationship between the artistic producer and consumer....