"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" Response

        In Walter Benjamin’s essay titled, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” he argues that mechanical reproduction modified what art was considered and adjusted how art was developed and dispersed among society. Benjamin throughly explains how mechanical reproduction has caused artwork to become less authentic over time as it becomes reproduced over and over again. The action of copying a piece of artwork “shatters a tradition”  and decreases the uniqueness of the piece including its historical context, sacredness, and original beauty that it entails when it is created. Photography, film, and radio are all examples of forms of creativity and art that lose their uniqueness as they become reproduced over time. For example, films can easily be rearranged and cut which not only alters the original work but makes it seem “scientific” in a way. Benjamin could not have been more accurate in his argument of mechanical reproduction and in fact, it has only become more believable as years of technology and art has advanced. 

        Technology has developed incredibly well since Benjamin’s time, has made life easier in many different ways, and continues to benefit society. However, one of the negative effects of technology today is the fact that it has only allowed copying, transforming, cutting, and manipulating of works to be achieved far more easier now than in the past, although then it was still achievable after more time was dedicated to the task back then. Today, it only takes minutes to take someone else’s work of art, edit it, and put your name on it to make it seem as if you were the original creator. With the development of photoshop, transformation apps/programs, etc. it has only benefited those who partake in taking artists works and turning them into their own. Like Benjamin explained, this deters from the original work and causes its uniqueness and value to become modified and lose its historical or spiritual context that it entailed when it was once created. Even the slightest or smallest change in the work hinders the original and it is only becoming easier to achieve day by day with new advancements in technology. Benjamin’s take on this in the mid 1930s can effortlessly be compared to art and technology today and unfortunately, will only become increasingly worse as new technological advancements are developed and created over time. Copyright laws are present and very impactful which does help prevent an overload of infringement from occurring but is not quite enough to stop reproduction of original works with new owners to be put to an end. Mechanical Reproduction has essentially made different forms of art work easier to create, produce, and release to the world but has caused issues with the originality and “birth” of a work created by someone.