Walter Benjamin states, "The uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being
imbedded in the fabric of tradition. This tradition itself is thoroughly alive and extremely
changeable.". This statement shows that Benjamin was aware that art is fully capable of
adapting as society changes. It is these inevitable changes in technology that has
transformed art and the production of art. The digital world allows for an infinite field of
exploration and artistic creation. Art has become more dependent on technology thus
expanding our capabilities.
At the time that Benjamin wrote this article he recognized the importance of
mechanical reproduction as a means to further inform the masses but he believed that the
"aura" of a work of art was lost in the translation. He also discusses the reproduction of
photos and points out that viewing the authentic or original photograph is essentially a
moot point because of the ease of the photographic reproduction.
NAM - Fat Man reproduction
Reproduction d'une photo de Gourdon, Luchon
Benjamin Ooghe-TabanouI agree that viewing an
object of art such as a painting or sculptor in person certainly does impart an aura to the
viewer and the reproduction or photography of this work does lack the ability to instill
the same feeling of aura. With this said I believe that the aura of a photograph can still
exist as long as the reproduction of the photograph maintains the quality that the artist
originally intended for the viewer. This aura can also be affected not only by the quality
of the reproduction but also by the size of the reproduction. If an image is produced by an
artist at a particular size, this image is intended for the viewer in this form therefore the
reproduction must be on the same scale and quality to impart its aura to the viewer.
Through technology aura can even be...