Class Notes 1-30

Benjamin’s “Aura” discussion and debate

                Mass production doesn’t create an aura for the object. His meaning of “aura” is this strange tissue of space and time. The piece is connected to the time when it is created. It ages, cracks, falls to pieces, fingerprints, and it can only exist in one place at any one time. You must go to the place to see it, but if you snap a picture of it, it doesn’t age and you can see it online.

                Art used to be tied to ritual. The earliest cave paintings were done to try to bring the bison. Greek urns and statue made for ritual purposes.

                Hollywood is fascias (didn’t get there with you, but he is a Marxist). The way he presents new mass produced art come off negative. We have a new way of relating to art (laughing in a movie is a release of mass psychosis).

                Art that has been painted you see what the artist wants you to see but if you look at a picture you see it for yourself. There is something special about seeing something live but the recordings and movies are more easily accessible, and sometimes the aura can go either way (especially with concerts).

                When it comes to computers and cars and phones, it is mass produced but we still develop a relationship with each of them.

                Print made the pool of authors grow; anyone who had an opinion or knowledge on anything can get published. Literacy used to be exclusive. Now it is not. Consequences: There is more crap to shift through. Grammar and accuracy of English has declined because everyone can right and they have different dialects. Lack of originality (that has always been an issue), can be used for propaganda. Positive outcomes: you can find a group of people who like the same thing; things are more accessible and practical; democratizes art, art gets more exposure,

                Our generation has not really known anything other than mass production, so we don’t really know any different.

               Different mediums are made for different productions, paintings were meant to be original where as novels were made to be mass produced.
                How has mass-production changed our outlook on art? It is more personal because we can manipulate it. Everything still has an aura even though it is mass produced because we have a connection with it. Manipulating originals decreased the distance to a work of art.

Key Word project notes- Start presenting Feb 20th, any medium you want, webpage, podcast, sock puppet play (what is appropriate for your word) create a definition or an explanation that makes sense. Then find examples (familiar and demonstration). Words will be given out on Wednesday.

(Audacity and Photoshop demos)