1. The Battle For Authenticity Starring: Walter Benjamin and Bill Nichols By Rani Mackevich
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Editor's Notes
Mechanical reproduction Mass production When a work of art is reproduced, it is freed from its establishment in history and its domain in society. 1:Process reproduction like in a photograph can bring out aspects of the original that were blind to the eye, yet accessible to the camera The camera can capture what the naked eye can’t 2: when a work of art is technically reproduced, or manufactured, it meets a consumer halfway by being able to purchase a form of it whether it be a photograph or piece of music, makes it more easily accessible
Nichols explains how film uses ‘spectacles’ to deflect the audience from ‘unconscious optics’ that show those interactions that our eyes neglect This is similar to process reproduction in which we experience through the camera lens what we couldn’t see with just the naked eye The second quote demonstrates the changes that mechanical reproduction produces by showing new ways of seeing and recognizing itself
Time, space, essence Domain of history Authentic art has basis in Ritual A piece of art reflects the time period that it was created It acts as a response to the times When you look at an old piece you are looking at the history of the times The same goes for music with the blues or swing music
Furthering Benjamin’s claim We are engaged in art as it holds a place in history and ritual
Basis in ritual aura social significance a work of art can only be perceived authentic and original once when an art form gets mechanically reproduced the aura diminishes from its original For example, Woodstock was a historic event embedded in a time and place consisting of an aura and cannot be replicated no matter how many times the music is reproduced or enhanced The reproduction takes away from the domain of tradition
The first quote almost acts as a wake up call to the new ways of seeing that we not only have when his article was written, but also today with the accessibility of cybernetics While it may not be conducive to creating the aura that Benjamin envisions, it is more form fitting to the transformation that cybernetics has had on the general public. It is these new ways of seeing unlike before that we adjust to new means
Unlike painting, the process of editing film is much more open for interpretation There is more room to splice and rearrange film to fit the artists needs than painting Editing is les focused on ritual There is less room for mechanical reproduction in the case of film because it is already far from the original The ritual of film is far removed from the original
The aspect of aura is replaced with control with the transformation of art to cybernetics With this transformation we are able to control our own aura We become addicted to the idea of the process of simulation rather than the object With the help of the micro-electronic chip, we can create a process of simulation and have it act as a second reality (much like the sims or second life) We have ultimate control over our simulation and therefore our aura with the help of cybernetics
One example of this would be a shooting game (Call of Duty, Halo, etc.) This is where the reality of war is simulated and mechanically reproduced to play time and time again at your control Not only do you control your own game, but the aura around it as well While the game itself is unauthentic, each play is controlled by the player and different within its own time and space It is through these simulations that a new aura and essence of time and place are constructed around cybernetics
how have social networking sites changed the way we look at aura and ritual