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Revolutionary Potential in Walter Benjamin
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During the high rise of modernity in the 1930’s, cultural theorist, Walter Benjamin was fascinated by the utopia of consumption and technology. ... It is within this backdrop, that Benjamin in his 1936 essay, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, focuses on how technology and mass culture affected the art world. In order to re-form his understanding of art, Benjamin emphasised specifically on reproducibility challenging the aura of art, and temporality as a form of cognition. ...
By temporal disruption, Benjamin wanted to refute the argument that history and politics was a progressive or linear phenomenon. Instead Benjamin wanted to revise this Marxist deterministic theory. Benjamin believed that through the discontinuity of history and temporalization of politics, art would not last in history unchanged. ...
As Benjamin explains “The uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being imbedded in the fabric of tradition. ... Benjamin is therefore de-constructing the upperclass/Bourigosie idea that ritual or “cult” art holds a greater value than perhaps new ‘art. ... The concept of “ cult art” as discussed by Benjamin, originates in the service of the ritual, religious or magical form. ... For Benjamin “cult art” was directed primarily towards the Bourgeoisie and upper class. ...
“The crisis of art” as explained by Benjamin, was ultimately a re-evaluation of what constituted “pure art” that before served no social function or categorization. ... Benjamin was therefore very aware of the connection between reproducibility, disaster and politics with this “new art form. ... One may note that Benjamin’s emphasis and elaboration on the importance of technology in historically altering the form of art, highlights his materialistic theory of production.
The photograph was the new temporal art form that had true potential for revolutionary improvement because of the immediate “moment capture” of the flash. Again the importance of history and art intersect when Benjamin writes: “During long periods of history the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence. ... Benjamin strengthens his perceptual argument by giving the example of how the pictures served as evidence to see the streets of Paris empty. ...
In a similar light the film like the photography was a revolutionary medium of perceptual technology because of its ability to reproduce and interact with the citizens on a daily basis.
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Paper Information
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Title: Revolutionary Potential in Walter Benjamin
Words: 1890
Rating: None
Pages: 7.6
submitted by: juliaboulia
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