Printmaking, photography and film make it possible for works of art to be mechanically reproduced. It is available to everyone. But does the original piece not matter anymore? Is the mechanical reproduction taking away the value of the artwork? Does reproducing the artwork countless times make it less impressive? Is the original worth more than its reproductions?
Just because a piece is easily reproduced does not mean that the original does not have an impact anymore. Walter Benjamin argues that technology is changing art and our perceptions. He says that the original artwork is independent of the copy, yet through the act of reproduction something is taken from the original by changing its context. “Even the most perfect reproduction of a
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An example is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa has been available for years in all forms. It is among the most replicated works of art. (Wikipedia, 2015) The actual painting in the Musée du Louvre in Paris is not really impressive, but every year six million people visit the museum to see it. They wait hours to be able to see it. Everyone has seen reproductions, may it be paintings or pictures of it. However, there is a certain uniqueness to the original piece which cannot be found in copies. The original painting was always displayed in important places, like at Palace of Fontainebleau in 1519 or in Napoleon’s bedroom in 1800, for example. And that is one of the things that make it more valuable. A work of art is a representation of the time and situation it was made …show more content…
They do have many advantages as well. One of the benefits is that it allows more people to have access to a piece. Not everyone has the money or time to travel to the other side of the world to see a piece of art. Also, reproductions are very helpful in a lot of ways. If artwork could not be reproduced, and if it was only described with words, without a visual image, we would not know how all the pieces of art looked like. We could not study them and go into detail. We could not tell the difference between different pieces. Words alone would lead to imagination and imagination differs for
A certain emotion or an “aura” is said to be present when an artist creates an art work. However, some of the reproduction pieces inside Kinkade’s signature gallery are highlighted by his specially trained assistant; I believe these paintings are no longer evoking this so-called “aura” of the original work. Aura is something that cannot be duplicated. Reproductions of art pieces are simply tangible and concrete object. They are digital imitations that “could be soaked in water, peeled off the paper, and affixed to a stretched canvas, so that it showed the texture of the canvas the way a real painting would.” As Benjamin stated, “… the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.” The original paintings have their own unique characters and history, and these are not the things that art reproductions can generate. "The presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity."
When you are looking at a painting or sculpture, you are not only looking at a work of art, you are looking at the soul and story of the artist. I was able to really see that when I went to the St. Louis Art Museum. The new sector that was added to the museum, in my opinion, was a fantastic addition to the overall museum. Looking at all the art periods and all the ways that artist conveyed their feelings with their works was a great experience. If someone were to ask me if it was worth coming to the St. Louis Art Museum, I would highly recommend it. This is an outstanding museum, from the building itself to the collections it houses. Going to it always reminds me how fortunate I am to have the Saint Louis Art Museum right here in my own backyard.
where people decided to reproduce art as a picture of what was going on. Instead, this artistic
Benjamin stressed the Marxist democratization of art through digital reproduction, a media which allows for de-emphasizing the original work of art. Throughout the history of arts, particularly visual arts, we have revered the individual paintings created by artists, locating them in exclusive galleries and museums which are subject to the tastes and privilege of the upper class philanthropic elite. The value of a work is based in part by which wealthy patrons have owned or commissioned it, and the history of a canvas often becomes more important than the actual formal representation on it.
A lot of people might be doubtful that art has much power to make the world a better place. If you asked they would probably summarize art as scribbles or
We encounter art everyday. Art is paintings and sculptures, music and dance, film and photography. It is also fashion designing and architecture, novels and magazines. These seemingly different things have one thing in common – they are all ways in which humans convey themselves. For thousands of years, humans have used symbols to tell a story or describe a struggle. Art is the use of these symbols, symbols that represent us in some distinct way.
The type of ornamentation depended on the local customs and style of the specific period and location. It was also intriguing to learn the design process behind the work. The monks and artists would lightly draw out the guidelines for the placement of the text and illustrations. The artist would also sketch out their designs on a notebook prior to the final draft and would either trace or refine the final drawings. The illustrations are used to portray an image to the text and tell the story of what is written.
This statement reminded me of Chapter 17 which discusses disegno/colore. The Italian Renaissance book stated Vasari caused quite a controversy with his statements. As we know today beautiful art can be made using different techniques, mediums, and
Benjamin argues that reproduction devalues art because it no longer has an aura. The aura of an art piece ties it to a specific location and time. He believes that only the original hold a history that cannot be reproduced: “In even the most perfect reproduction, one thing is lacking: the here and now of the work of art-its unique existence in a particular place. It is this unique existence-and nothing else-that bears the ... ...
If someone where to ask you to name a famous painting, what would you say? I would answer The Mona Lisa, possibly the most prominent painting there is today. For my research project, I will be analyzing, retelling, and exploring the Mona Lisa. I chose this piece of artwork because I love art and was just interested in why the Mona Lisa is such a well-known painting.
All over the world the portrait has been used and seen, in which, gives people the chance to see it without really going to the ends of the earth to view it in person. Although it is not the original painting itself, it gives people an idea of what the world is talking about. Just like any other icon, once you become an icon nothing can take that away from you or something. It stands alone on its own. So many people admire the painting they use it today in commercials. McDonald’s used the “Mona Lisa” to advertise for a Big Mac. In the commercial “da Vinci was painting Mona and she wouldn’t smile until she took a bit out of the Big Mac sandwich, and that is how the Mona Lisa was created”. With all the unanswered questioned about the “Mona Lisa” this painting will never lose its fame. If someone could answer all the questions the portrait entails the painting would remain still remain famous because it took so long for the mysteries to be revealed. Moreover, the fact that the painting was not painted on a canvas but on a piece of wood, in which gives the painting another piece of uniqueness. Although da Vinci painted on wood panels, it is rare today to fine someone to use the same kind of canvas as da
..., they improve social skills as well as one’s social image, and they improve one’s psychological health (Why Art Matters, 1). The arts also increase one’s perception and appreciation for life and the things in it (Why Art Matters, 1). Art is all around us everywhere we go and everywhere we look. It helps us understand where we are, where we are going, and how we get there. The preservation of history greatly relies on art to hold images, sounds, writing, and all sorts of other stuff form the past, so I guess you could say that recorded history is art (Social Impact of Art, 8). It helps get rid of multiracial and multicultural boundaries creating connections between people from all around the globe (How Art Impacts Society, 6). The arts, as well as the artist, are very important in today’s society and needs to be appreciated for what it is and what it’s done for us.
Throughout the ages art has played a crucial role in life. Art is universal and because art is everywhere, we experience it on a daily basis. From the houses we live in (architecture) to the movies we see (theatre) to the books that we read (literature). Even in ancient culture art has played a crucial role. In prehistoric times cave dwellers drew on the wall of caves to record history. In biblical times paintings recorded the life and death of Christ. Throughout time art has recorded history. Most art is created for a specific reason or purpose, it has a way of expressing ideas and beliefs, and it can record the experiences of all people.
Through these early stages of art discussed above, it shows how the foundation for today’s modern works was laid out. They show how art has developed from simple cave paintings, to the tremendous force in society that it is today.