Aura has to do with the traditional value and the uniqueness of a work of art. There is always a particular reason for an artwork’s creation, whether it be spiritual, ritual or for profit purposes. Ancient statues, worshiped as gods is the significances and the aura of that work of art. Benjamin describes the aura of a work of art as “its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence”(pg 220). The aura also relates to the history of the object. What it has been through and its experiences. A chip on the side of an ancient plate, gives it character and shares its story.
Media Industry art work is now created for its “exhibition value”. Benjamin quotes Paul Valéry in the same article “Just as water, gas and electricity are brought into our houses from far off to satisfy our needs in response to a minimal effort, so we shall be supplied with visual or auditory images” (pg 219). With advancements in technology individuals are able to experience works of art without having to travel to the objects original location. Museums and photographs provided the public with the opportunity to view works of arts that would have been impossible without technological advancements.
Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. New York: Schoken Books, 1968.
Horkeimer, Max and Adorno, Theodor. Dialectic of Enlightenment. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002.
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