What is mechanical reproduction?

What is mechanical reproduction?

Quick Reference. The mass production of identical copies of a text using technological means (i.e. printing). The phrase is particularly associated with Benjamin’s 1936 essay, ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ (see aura).

Can art be mechanically reproduced?

Art bears a strong socio-cultural importance, however, it is utilised through mechanical reproduction in order to function politically. The cult value of it, so groundedness in tradition, got emancipated through exhibiting it and further enhanced through reproduction.

Is mechanical reproduction of art considered as authentic work of art explain?

By this he means it has a presence in time and space, and a unique existence in the place it happens to be. A reproduction of a work of art lacks ‘authenticity’ as it is not possible, when reproducing the work of art, to establish the exact conditions in which the original artwork was created.

When was the age of mechanical reproduction?

The Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction was written in 1936 in the wake of years of Nazi rallies, designed by Albert Speer and after the successful films of Leni Reifenstahl. Benjamin’s essay needs to be understood within this cultural context.

Does art reproduction have value?

Some are of high quality and are almost identical to the original. The majority of reproductions of famous paintings have little value. Some reproductions of paintings do have commercial value, particularly if they were published as limited editions. Supply and demand may mean that they increase in value.

When did mechanical art start?

Kinetic art has its origins in famous artists from the late 19th Century such as Claude Monet, Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. The 1920’s through to the 1960s saw experiments with mobiles and new forms of sculpture, with one of the most prominent figures in the field at the time being Alexander Calder.

What is manual reproduction of art?

Manual reproduction (e.g., a painter produces a new painting by copying an original) was originally considered forgery. 2) technical/process reproduction can “put the copy of the original into situations which would be out of reach for the original itself” (527).

What does the artwork lose in the age of mechanical reproduction?

The mechanical reproduction of a work of art voids its cult value, because removal from a fixed, private space (a temple) and placement in mobile, public space (a museum) allows exhibiting the art to many spectators.

Why authenticity is important in art?

If you truly are passionate about the work you do, then your art will reflect its authenticity. You will get the respect you deserve for the art that you create. It’s Real and Unique – people will recognize hard work through authentic art. An individual piece is valued more because of its uniqueness and realness.

Is art reproduction good or bad?

Inevitably, the technical reproduction of art destroys the original meaning of a work and fragments its meaning to the different contexts of ordinary human life. Furthermore, a reproduction of an artwork is insufficient in capturing the true beauty of works in their aesthetic form.

How is art reproduction beneficial?

Benefits of Reproductions: 1: It allows the artists to continue to generate income from a work whether the original has been sold or not. 2: Allows more people to have access to a single piece. 3: Allows the artist to retain ownership of the original and only sell reproductions should they wish.

What is mechanical art called?

Artes mechanicae (mechanical arts) are a medieval concept of ordered practices or skills, often juxtaposed to the traditional seven liberal arts (artes liberales). Also called “servile” and “vulgar”, from antiquity they had been deemed unbecoming for a free man, as ministering to baser needs.

What was the work of Art in the age of Mechanical Reproduction?

“ The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction ” (1935), by Walter Benjamin, is an essay of cultural criticism which proposes and explains that mechanical reproduction devalues the aura (uniqueness) of an objet d’art.

How does reproduction affect the work of Art?

Despite the socio-cultural effects of mass-produced, reproduction-art upon the aura of the original work of art, Benjamin said that “the uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being embedded in the fabric of tradition”, which separates the original work of art from the reproduction.

How is a work of Art different from a mechanical copy?

Therefore, the original work of art is an objet d’art independent of the copy; yet, by changing the cultural context of where the art happens to be, the mechanical copy diminishes the aesthetic value of the original work of art. In that way, the aura — the unique aesthetic authority of a work of art — is absent from the mechanically produced copy.

Why does mechanical reproduction of Art void its cult value?

The mechanical reproduction of a work of art voids its cult value, because removal from a fixed, private space (a temple) and placement in mobile, public space (a museum) allows exhibiting the art to many spectators.