Free Walter Benjamin: The Work Of Art In The Age Of Mechanical Reproduction Essay Sample

Marx started working on the capitalistic mode of production when it was at very young. With many efforts, he managed to propel his ideas to greatness and in turn, capitalism was abolished. Reproduced works of art usually lack the basic elements of time and space that are the unique experiences of where the art happens to be. Traces of the original piece only are revealed using certain chemicals or physical analysis. These tests are usually hard to run on reproduced pieces. When dealing on the concept of authenticity, the original piece is usually a prerequisite. The use of reproduced material was used to help the original piece preserve its authority. Reasons for the process were that, for one, the process of reproduction was more independent of the original than the manual production, and second, technical reproduction has the capacity of putting a copy into situations that even the original copy could not reach. The quality of mechanical reproduction always depreciates though, the situations through which the product is brought do not relate to the actual work. It is usually hard to separate the uniqueness of art from its being imbedded in the fabric of tradition.
When the criterion of authenticity is lost and does not apply to the artistic production, the whole function of the art it reversed. The art starts being based on another practice especially politics instead of rituals. The receivership and value of works of art are usually on different levels. The receivership and value are usually based on two types; the accent can be on the cult value or the exhibition value of the work. Due to the different methods of technical reproduction, the fitness for exhibition is increased such as the shifting of the quantitative part of the art between its two poles. Mechanical reproduction of art helps in changing the reaction of the masses towards art.