“Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is
lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at
the place where it happens to be” (38). In the beginning of the piece Walter
Benjamin starts off talking about how art, whether it is literature, or physical
art can be reproduces. At first it was practiced by man, but later when times
started changing reproduction was made by machine. He talks about how art can
always be imitated and reproduced to be the exact same at the beginning of the
article. I was at first really confused because I had always learned in classes
that art was unique and could never be reproduced to be the exact same. However
Benjamin then contradicts himself in the quote I listed above and continues to explain
that each piece of art is unique because it was made at a certain point in time
at a certain place and it will always be unique because of that. This made more
sense to me. Just because something was created and just because we now have
the skill and technology to make something identical to the eye, doesn’t make
it its own.
“The manner in which human sense perception is organized,
the medium in which its accomplished, is determined not only by nature but by
historical circumstances as well” (39). This quote also stuck out to me because
it sculpted another part of the article, which says how art is influenced by
what is going on in the world and that time period. Art is always influenced in
some way. Thoughts and emotions are always put into art whether it’s a painting
or a book. History is shaped based on events that occur and what happened. All
of this also plays into what is seen in art, and I think that is one of the
main points Benjamin makes.
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