The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Assignment Due 5/9: Choose a passage from "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," write out the passage; explain what it means and why you chose it.

       

An analysis of art in the age of mechanical reproduction must do justice to these relationships, for they lead us to an all-important insight: for the first time in world history, mechanical reproduction emancipates the work of art from its parasitical dependence on ritual. 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. But the instant the criterion of authenticity ceases to be applicable to artistic production, the total function of art is reversed. Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice – politics.

     My interpretation of this passage is that Benjamin expressed the importance of art and its reproduction. In the same way, the essay and his intention were related with the era that the world was living at that time. It was the mechanical era, where the process of doing things was evolving. I think Benjamin was trying to include art in that process of evolution, expansion and productivity. In other words, the art was and is important enough and deserved to evolve as the rest of the world was doing. I chose this passage because I agree with it. I believe in equality and balance in all aspects and subjects of life. It is fair enough that if the world is evolving, all areas also evolve in equal manner.

Assignment Due 5/2: Choose a passage from Jünger, write it out, explain the meaning of it, and why you chose this passage.

Passage: As a rule one will not have to go far to uncover the pain. Indeed, even the individual is not fully free from pain in this joyful state of security. The artificial check on the elementary forces might be able to prevent violent clashes and to ward off shadows, but it cannot stop the dispersed light with which pain permeates life. The vessel, sealed off from pain’s full flow, is filled drop by drop. Boredom is nothing other than the dissolution of pain in time (p. 13).

      In terms of the meaning, I think Jünger refers to the fact that people did not have to do anything in order to be victims of the situation. In other words, the situation was painful and terrible for the entire population in general without exceptions. He went even deeper when he mentioned that even in a secure society, the pain was palpable. Similarly, society was feeling pain and suffering more every second. At the end, think that it does not matter how secure or not society, political party or idealism can be, if there is any kind of pain involving humans being, it is not worth it.

            I chose that passage because even today, idealism or political decisions go over humans' pain. For example, if a country has to declare a war to another country, the last thing to take into consideration is the people.