Friday, September 7, 2012
Walter Benjaimin: Critical Questions
1) In paragraph one, as Benjamin describes in brief, the history of reproduction, he metions how the ancient Greeks reproduced coins and called them art. What I want to know if the Greek's felt this way about this or if it was just a way of establishing their economics. After all, if it was just coins they were reproducing, then wouldent they have seen them as a currency? Will something we see as mundane be considered art one day?
2) In paragraph 4 of Benjamin's piece, he states "Instead of art being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice- politics". What intrigues me is that when you look at some photographic artworks, their main focus is on political issues. Does that reflect the impact of new technology on art? Or have political issues always been attached to works of art?
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Good point with question one. In fact, art itself new or old is considered as something of a currency. Though admittedly among the bourgeoisie or social elite with little concern of the 'middle person', objectively. Funny how that we view the artifact of the past with rose-tinted goggles, when in fact the process has been hasted to admire the present. Sort of like a loss of "aura". Ha. As for question two, I know historically photography received its start as mundane portraitures with excessively long exposure times called daguerrotypes. For subject matter to be worthy of such treatment, one would assume they would need to be of a certain social stance to warrant it.
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