The aura is the feeling of allure; of being captivated by the presence of someone, some place or something that is unique, and causes reflection. This can be found, as mentioned in class, by attending the concert of your favorite artist, seeing the sunset in a tropical paradise, by seeing a historical landmark [1], by standing face to face to a magnificent piece of art, etc . Walter Benjamin states in, Illuminations, "the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity's entire mode of existence". [2] As technology becomes more advanced, ways of communication are enhanced and modernized, entertainment endures changes, and "mechanical reproduction" continues, the way people grasp the separation to something in the here and now transforms. The way that the aura is perceived is therefore, ever changing because "we define the aura.. as the unique phenomenon of a distance". [3] There are many factors that affect how people contemplate the aura, but nowadays especially, because of what Horkheimer and Adorno describe as the "Culture Industry", the way masses perceive many things might be suppressing the "individual consciousness" and therefore, stripping the personal awe [4]. Due to the progression humanity has made, "the mentality of the public" [4] is now part of a system that promotes sameness, and is dominated by industry. In the end, the concept of aura loses its caliber with its availability, and so the add on to the realization that society is "unifying the system" and erasing the individual. [5]
[1], [2] ,[3] Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. New York, NY: Schocken Books, 1961. Print.
[4] , [5] Horkheimer, Max, and Theodor W. Adorno. Dialectic of Enlightenment. New York: Herder and Herder, 1972. Print.
I enjoyed reading your post. I completely agree with your description of an aura. It is most definitely an attraction that we as people yearn for. I also like how you say that an aura causes reflection. Great !
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