“One saying: the techniquereproduced object domain of tradition. By making for a unique existence. And in permitting object reproduced
Benjamin is saying that reproductions reduce the integrity of the art because the product is no longer authentic. It seems to him that an object is only unique and interesting in its singularity and once it becomes too easy to obtain then it loses its allure. For example, the Mona Lisa it is considered by many to be a great piece of art and there is only one. Which makes it intriguing. Now if the look the woman had was a standard look given in all paintings or if the woman posed on the same manner for other artists, it would have diminished the power of the painting. Benjamin also speaks of “aura- a symptomatic process whose significance points beyond the realm of art.” (1936). According to him this is missing in works that have been reproduced or produced indirectly, i.e. a copy of a painting or a photograph. I think that the value of art is in the art itself and the use of it to express one’s inner goals and desires. Benjamin also speaks of the “shattering of tradition” that he believes is caused by the loss of authenticity of art in its original form.
I believe that while there would have been a certain intimacy between the artist and the subject in the past. That does not exist today due to technology. We now can take thousands of photos a day, whereas 150 years ago a person may have sat for a portrait for a few hours. Reproductions while devaluing both the integrity and price of a piece of art, is a necessary price to pay for the advancement of technology and the “breaking of tradition” (Benjamin, 1936) is sometimes necessary in order for ideas to evolve.
“The earliest art works originated in the service of a ritual – first the magical, then the religious kind” (Benjamin, 1936)
I agree with Benjamin for nearly a hundred thousand years’ art has been used in ritual practices. A number of cave paintings depict scenes that scholars believe to show ritual behavior. There are a number of monolithic structures, such as Stonehenge across England and Scotland that are believed to have been used in ritual ceremonies. The Greek, Roman and some Middle Eastern gods were depicted by figurines, on vases and in marble. The fact is, for most of human existence art has been synonymous with magic and religion. This does not mean that the significance does not change over time. For example, today no one knows the exact significance of Stonehenge because the ideas and beliefs surrounding it died out. The marble statues that once adorned the entrances and walkways of Ancient temples now sit in museums no longer worshipped but still revered.
“This is comparableart in prehistoric timesan instrument of magic. Only latera work of art.” (Benjamin, 1936).
This reminds me of the scenes in “Shadow Magic” where Liu is trying to get people to come see Shadow Magic and the guy asks him “is it magic” and lord Tam claiming that it was nothing more than “ghostly tricks” done by the Westerner. This is because as Benjamin states a number of times in his essay anything new in pre-technological societies was seen as magic.
The following lines from Walter Benjamin remind me of “Shadow Magic”, “artistic production begins with ceremonial objects destined to serve in a cult” (1936). At first the people of Liu’s town were not interested in the films as they feared that the films would “steal their souls” (Shadow Magic, 2000). This caused them to dismiss them but eventually they became fascinated by them. This is because as Benjamin said before “all that mattered was their existence, not being on view” (1936). This changed once the people of the town realized that the films allowed them to view people outside their existence. That is watching these films one could see and relate to people and places different from their own.
Later when during the viewing of the film in “Shadow Magic” the audience is captivated by what they are seeing on screen “Those mountains Those rivers, how it sings The horizon It seems to extend forever That’s neat!” (Shadow Magic, 2000). The reason that the audience is captivated by the image on screen, when they could see the same thing if they were outside is perspective. Seeing something in a magazine, picture or film allows the viewer to see it in a way they may not be able to naturally for various reasons. For example, when a person is looking at a mountain they can only see it from their point of view. This means that they never actually see the whole thing. On the other hand, if a person is looking at a photograph taking aerially they will see a more complete picture. This in my opinion does not change the “aura” of the scene, it just allows it to be more accessible.
“We cannot escape what drives us”- Jewelry Tower, Shadow Magic (2000)
This quote is telling us that the drive for change and advancement is inevitable. For some people the fear of change makes them resistant and while it is okay to want to preserve the past. Things are going to change due to advancements in technology, etc. We just need to accept this and try to keep up.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Walter Benjamin. Trans. Harry Zohn. Ed. Hannah Arendt. Schocken/Random House, 2005. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.
Shadow Magic. Dir. Ann Hu. Perf. Jared Harris, Yu Xia, Yufei Xing. Beijing Film Studio, C & A Productions, Central Motion Pictures, 2000. DVD.
