Week 4: Fantastic 4 Walter Benjamin Text

It's important to keep in mind that Walter Benjamin is writing in 1935. His historical perspective comes at the time of communism & fascism in Europe and his words come through a filter of the deep societal change that was happening at the time of writing. Benjamin’s use of Paul Valery’s opening quote establishes the modern disconnect between art and it’s original physical value. Valery believes new methods of craft (more precisely methods of reproduction) threaten what is defined as “the Beautiful” as the essence of originality is jeopardized by what can be technically reproduced.

Benjamin develops Valery’s observation through providing different examples of reproduction techniques in relation to an artworks physical and traditional identity. The physical is determined by its’ “presence in time and space”. This being said, the concept of authenticity plays a key role in determining the value of an artwork. By proving an artwork is an original version, you must physically analyze it, which gives firstness a physical value. This is interesting as the techniques for reproduction and forensic analysis have both evolved to combat each other. Regardless of the nature of an artworks originality and how we attest it reveals we place indirect value on the processes rather than the final product.

Benjamin does a great job of linking his ideas to historical precedent; when speaking of arts aura and its decline in the contemporary he introduces the concept of the Ritual with examples such as the Greeks statue of Venus and how no matter it's original purpose be it (magical or religious) its connection to ritual enriches its aura and gives it uniqueness. As for traditional value, the context in which we frame an artworks value also transcends from pre-existing generations alongside their customs and beliefs. Benjamin explains there are two planes in which value art. Benjamin defines cult value explaining art originated from ceremonial objects and there symbolic value. This completely ignored the artistic function which defines our modern perception of art. Benjamin echoes a similar message to other past readings “art forms aspires to effects which could be fully obtained only with a changed technical standard, that is to say, in a new art form” art forms are couched within other art forms and through exploration and art challenging its limits do we better understand those new mediums.