Walter Benjamin begins his essay, Illuminations, by stating, “in principle a work of art has always been reproducible”[1], but today the question arises- if art is reproducible, will it have the same affect on the audience in the cyber as compared to in person? That affect that the relationship with the piece of art creates is the “aura”- the captivation that causes extreme emotion and self-reflection. Today, “art” does not have to be simply on a wall, art forms can be seen in nature, a concert, or even a photograph. Just as aura can be found in many art forms, each individual can also see it differently. With history, new forms of art emerge due to advances in society, and “the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence” [2] . An example of this can be seen with the cyber, and even how once a concert could only be viewed live, now anyone can experience the performance on the Internet. Now with art being reproduced on the Internet, it can be said that “culture today is infecting everything with sameness”[3]. Instead of having an emotional moment from a live performance, every performance can seem the same in the internet. Though it is possible to connect with a piece of art manufactured and placed on the cyber, the aura can be seen as decreased from the aura of the original work.
[1] Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” in Illuminations, ed. Hannah Arendt (New York: Schocken Books, 1968), 218.
[2] Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” in Illuminations, ed. Hannah Arendt (New York: Schocken Books, 1968), 222.
[3] Adorno, Theodor. Dialect of Enlightenment: The Culture Industry: Enlightenment of Mass Deception". California: Stanford University Press. pg 94.
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