Aura is what separates a work of art from its reproduction[1]. An original is separate from a reproduction because of its creation. An original painting is not a copy, it is creative inspiration. There are no guidelines for an original. The point is to create something new. However, a reproduction has the rigid guidelines of having to exactly imitate something else. It has the opposite purpose of an original. This process of originality creates aura.
Art has aura because it is unique[2]. Where and how it exists in time and space is special and exclusive to this piece of art. All of this is involved in the aura. A reproduction will not exist in the same way.
An important issue to consider is whether the aura is important when viewing art. Will I have to same experience as someone who went to a museum and viewed an original painting if I see it on my computer screen. How about if I see a reproduction in a museum? How important is aura? Is seeing a reproduction better than not seeing an art work at all, or does a reproduction taint your viewing of the art?
[1] Benjamin, Walter. (1968). Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (pp. 217-251). New York, NY: Schocken Books. Pg 220
[2] Benjamin, Walter. (1968). Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (pp. 217-251). New York, NY: Schocken Books. Pg 220
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