Erid Jata
Photography
Can art be mechanically reproduced?
In this discussion I studied The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin, Britannica: Henry Peach Robinson and Masters of Photography: Henry Peach Robinson (Video).
1.
When something is reproduced for so many times is that art? What's the importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art? What was the impact of the mechanical reproducibility on the society?
Art can be reproduced in different ways, and all those ways can be called mechanized reproduction, lithography, serigraphy and nowadays digital as well. Mechanical re-productivity gives the opportunity that an art piece (doesn’t necessarily have to be a well known art piece), to be enjoyed from everyone in different places and times to the same piece.
2.
What is the main point of Walter Benjamin's article?
Walter Benjamin supported the mechanical reproduction because according to him it adds value to a piece of art when that piece is enjoyed by people living in different geographical position of the world and at their best time selection, making that a major convenience to the people who have a passion for art.
3.
Is photography art, or contribution to the art? Is it just a tool used by artists?
Although different people have different concepts about art, to me photography is an art, not just a tool, just as the painters have their tools, the camera is a tool, and the photography is the art.
4.
How and why Henry Peach Robinson created Fading Away? What was the reason?
Henry printed Fading Away by 5 different negatives, to prove that photography was art, not just a reproduction tool. The creation of Fading Away introduced us to what we know today as photo-montage.
5.
Photography has impacted the world of art and influenced some changes in the area of accessibility to art. If mechanical reproduction created revolution, what is happening now with the digitalization?
The digitalization is the next step of the revolution that mechanical reproduction created. With digitalization the revolution is now even greater where we have the power of bringing our imagination to life through the digitalization.