In this week’s reading Benjamin argues, “To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the authentic print makes no sense.” Do you agree or disagree? Do you think there is a role for the ‘authentic’ in an age of digital design and manufacture?
In todays society, it is rarely seen that an artist produces one work, for one person. It is much more common that they are mass produced because it gains you more profit and requires less effort. Because of this, when you buy something, it does not feel like it is individually customized to you, because it isn’t. People now have come to breaking out of this and making products they buy, their own. By doing this, it creates a sense of individuality which is lacking in todays society. Walter Benjamin says “To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the authentic print makes no sense.” and "In principle a work of art has always been reproducible. Man-made artifacts could always be imitated by man." Although it is clear that individual paintings or products are not produced much anymore, we live in a world that requires us to have certain objects to help us carry out our daily lives. If everyone had a phone, customized to themselves, phones would become very expensive and the effort and time put into each individual phone would become out of hand. Instead, people can buy generic phones and put their own twist onto it. E.g. buying a coloured case, choosing different backgrounds, ringtones etc. I do think that one off paintings and products are beautiful and desired, but for the society that we live in, it is not so much needed anymore at this stage.
http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?q=iphone+cover
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