Walter Benjamin Reaction

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

In Walter Benjamin’s writing, Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, he describes the sensation and perception people have when they are viewed through a lens. Furthermore, he explained how the historical value of art is lost when technology can easily reproduce such items. The perception of art evolves over time as the meaning becomes reproduced and transmitted from other sources that use these works of art to promote something other than the intended creation did. We see this reproduction through all mediums in society. Whether it’s a reprint of famous artists painting or a product advertising by using an image/song to promote a specific product. The original artist may not want their song to poorly represent them, and therefore the historical value and original meaning of that song or image could morph over time if it’s displayed for enough people.

Consciousness of the camera creates a sense of awareness that demands attention to detail about how your actions are handled. When watching reality TV shows I’m always watching and waiting for someone to do something abnormally seen on camera. This creates entertainment, because when someone does something unexpected on camera it’s perceived by an audience in many different interpretations. Making the reproduction of that specific moment either more or less historically valuable, depending on what is on camera of course.