Walter Benjamin and The Quality of Art

Walter Benjamin reflects upon the quality of art in The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. What’s considered to be art has gradually become of less importance and that ‘quality has been transmuted into quantity’ (media and cultural studies keyworks: 28). He writes that there’s been a ‘liquidation of the traditional value of cultural heritage’(media and cultural studies keyworks: 21), and uses the reproduction of Shakespeare’s plays to film, as an example. He also mentions that, because the media has become so accessible, almost anyone can contribute to it, and that lessens the value of ‘art’ within it. Walter Benjamin makes a distinction between how art has a function to either be admired (containing it’s aura) and send a message or to be exhibited and sold; ‘works of art are received and valued on two different planes… the accent is on cult value, with the other, on the exhibition value of the work’(media and cultural studies keyworks: 23). Benjamin speaks of an ‘aura’ that art has, and as art becomes less, as he calls it, ‘mystifying’, and slightly more ordinary, it loses its essence as art.

He also references Aldous Huxley’s statement that, ‘advances in technology have led… to vulgarity… Rotary press have made it possible the indefinite multiplication on writing and pictures… Now artistic talent is a rare phenomenon’ (media and cultural studies keyworks: 38). This brings me back to Benjamin’s point of quality, he writes ‘Literary license is now founded on polytechnic rather than specialized training’ (media and cultural studies keyworks: 28).  Many are trying to get something out of the media, and publish what they can to get noticed. Individual thought leads me to consider if this is true; the internet would be the biggest supporter of this idea, though writing a blog would not be considered art, there must be a lot of pointless information, even within the media, floating around.

An Introduction to Walter Benjamin

The works of Walter Benjamin varied amongst that of literary essays, historical writings and cultural criticism. His early studies were on that of aesthetic theory and later gained an interest in political movements. His first writings were mainly focussed on literary critique, one of many being The Origin of German Tragic Drama (1928). Writing for newspapers soon after, his involvement in the media was again, that of a literary critic. However his work then became influenced by political interest, developing Marxist and revolutionary views. During WWII, Benjamin wrote two of his most influential pieces of work, The Author as Producer (1934) and The Work of Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction (1936), which looked at the influence of mass production on various mediums, such as film. The latter is perhaps his most relevant work to media study today, and explores how culture has become lessened by the mass media; in which politics and aesthetics almost merge and art becomes accessible to the mass market. Within mostly individual reflection, as group work was not best suited to us as individuals, this is the text on which most of the attention has been focussed.

His background was one of struggle; being a Germanic Jew during Hitler’s reign in Germany, his life was constantly under threat, and therefore he travelled Europe in order to escape. Following 1925, he spent some years in Paris; here, he started The Arcades Project; an unfinished cultural study of early to mid-19’th century, Parisian life. Living during a time of great historical change, this also influenced his work; his Theses on the Philosophy of History (1940), explores how history is dependent on who it’s made by, and often the recognition of the victim’s suffering is avoided. The suffering of Benjamin’s own life is highlighted by his suicide in 1940; possible capture by the Nazi’s led him to take an overdose. His works gained recognition after his death and are still cause thought to study, both philosophically and within the media.