Post Class week 3

This week in class we discussed the theorists Benjamin and Jencks. In Jencks’ piece, “Emergent Rules,” he related his theories of post modernism with architecture. I really understood this piece because of the visual connections it creates. The rules of modernism and postmodernism are applied to an aesthetic form, in which the reader can compare and contrast. Post modern architecture gestures towards the ironic, pushes the concept of from, and accomplishes styles that would seem impossible. Modernist architecture is more focused on purpose. I found it most helpful in class when we looked at pictures that contained both styles of architecture so that I could compare the concepts right next to one another.
In the Benjamin’s reading he discusses the concept of authenticity and originality. Benjamin believed that mass reproduction of art destroys the originality of an art piece, and thus its aura. An example of this is the image of the famous actress Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn was related with class, grace, and sophistication. However, today her posters hang in almost every girl’s dorm room, making her presence lose its effectiveness at portraying these concepts. These posters of Audrey are mechanical reproductions. A mechanical reproduction serves a completely different purpose then the original does. At first, the image of Audrey was intended to advertise a movie or event, but because of her image being mass produced now her image simply serves the purpose of being a visual object used to take up wall space.
Both Benjamin’s and Jencks’s articles are related because the postmodern architecture discussed in Jencks piece is truly original and authentic as discussed in Benjamin’s article. For example, the Sydney Opera House located in Sydney Harbor Australia is truly a work of postmodern architecture. Though the building is mechanically reproduced on post cards, posters, websites, and so on, the Opera house is the original form of art work. The building differs from its surroundings and it renowned worldwide for its truly original concept. The Sydney Opera House is an exquisite example of a post modern architecture that, though mechanically replicated, is the original piece of work with an aura as described in Benjamin’s work.

I have niether given nor recieved aid on this blog.. Kelsey Hughes