Walter Benjaminâs 1936 essay is more than a piece of art criticism; itâs a profound diagnosis of a world in transition. He wrote it in a moment of technological and political upheaval, with the rise of film and the looming shadow of fascism. Benjamin saw that the ability to make perfect, endless copies of a work of art wasn't just a technical change. It was a fundamental shift in how we experience reality itself. By dismantling the 'aura'âthe unique, authoritative presence of the original objectâmechanical reproduction was rewiring human perception on a mass scale.
This matters for our understanding of DEVICES because Benjamin shows us that technologies of representation are never neutral. They are powerful instruments that construct what is real for us. A photograph is not just an image of a thing; it is a device that detaches the thing from its place in the world and makes it endlessly available, changing its meaning in the process. Film, with its montage and moving camera, doesn't just show us a story; it trains us in a new way of seeing, a new rhythm of attention demanded by the modern, industrial world. These are not just new art forms; they are new devices for mediating our relationship to everything.
By tracing the decay of the aura, Benjamin gives us a framework for analyzing how our own digital devices are shaping our sense of the authentic, the real, and the valuable. When we can summon any image, any song, any text with a tap, what happens to our sense of history, context, and presence? Benjaminâs essay is a critical tool for understanding the often-invisible ways our devices are shaping what we think, what we feel, and who we are becoming.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concept of the 'aura' of a work of art.
- Analyze how mechanical reproduction affects the aura.
- Connect the destruction of aura to broader changes in perception and reality.
Key Concepts
Aura
Benjamin argues that the original work of art has an 'aura' â a sense of authority, authenticity, and presence that comes from its unique existence in time and space. Itâs the feeling of standing before the actual Mona Lisa, knowing itâs the one and only, the same object Leonardo da Vinci painted. This uniqueness is tied to its history, its physical journey through the centuries. The aura isnât just about the object itself, but about our relationship to it, a relationship built on distance, reverence, and the ritual of pilgrimage to see it.
Within the DEVICES framework, the aura is a powerful mediating force. Itâs a conceptual device that shapes our experience of art, constructing a reality where authenticity and originality are paramount. The institutions of artâmuseums, galleries, auction housesâare built around preserving and presenting this aura. Our engagement with auratic art is a practice, a ritual that reinforces a specific way of seeing and valuing. Mechanical reproduction, by severing the link to a unique original, dismantles this entire apparatus.
Mechanical Reproduction
Mechanical reproduction, for Benjamin, refers to technologies like photography and film that can create countless identical copies of an image or a performance. Unlike a handmade copy, which is always a new interpretation, a photograph of a painting captures a single, frozen perspective that can be endlessly duplicated and distributed. This shatters the uniqueness of the original. The copy is no longer a lesser version; it becomes a thing in itself, accessible anywhere and anytime.
This technological shift has profound consequences. It detaches the artwork from its physical location and historical context, allowing it to be consumed in different waysâin a book, on a postcard, on a screen. The artwork becomes information. This process destroys the aura, but it also democratizes art, making it accessible to the masses. It changes art from an object of cult-like veneration to a tool for political and social commentary.
Art as a Reality-Constructing Device
Benjaminâs essay pushes us to see art not as a passive object of beauty, but as an active device that shapes our perception and, by extension, our reality. The way art is produced, distributed, and consumed is a mechanism that organizes our sensory experience. Auratic art, tied to ritual and tradition, reinforces a hierarchical and contemplative relationship with the world. It asks for quiet reverence.
Art in the age of mechanical reproduction, particularly film, works differently. It is a device of distraction and shock, bombarding the viewer with a rapid succession of images. This trains a new kind of perception, one suited to the fast-paced, fragmented reality of modern urban life. For Benjamin, this new mode of perception has a political dimension. By breaking down old traditions and ways of seeing, it opens up the possibility of a more critical, engaged consciousness. Art becomes a tool for constructing new realities, not just reflecting existing ones.
Assignment
Read Walter Benjamin's entire essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." As you read, focus on how Benjamin defines the 'aura' and the specific reasons why he believes it decays. Pay close attention to the distinction he makes between 'cult value' and 'exhibition value.' Consider the political implications he sees in the shift from one to the other. How does the experience of watching a film differ from contemplating a painting, according to Benjamin?
Read: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Knowledge Check
Reflect on the key topics in this lesson.
1
What does Benjamin mean by the 'aura' of a work of art?
Hint: Think about what makes an original artwork feel special and unique.
2
Why does Benjamin argue that photography and film destroy the aura?
Hint: Consider the role of uniqueness, history, and physical presence.
3
What is the political potential that Benjamin sees in the age of mechanical reproduction?
Hint: How does changing our perception also change our relationship to power and tradition?
Additional Resources
Supplementary materials for deeper exploration.
Ways of Seeing
A classic BBC series and book that builds directly on Benjamin's ideas, exploring how images are used to shape our understanding of the world.
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
McLuhan's famous work on how media technologies, as extensions of our senses, fundamentally alter human consciousness and society.