lacansmirror, Benjamin

The development of art and the progress of technology has changed the way we see and act in our cultures.  In addition it has enabled artists to explain their ideas in more forms.  "Lithography enabled graphic art to illustrate everyday life, and it it began to keep pace with printing"(38).  Then photography was invented and replaced the original lithograph.  Mechanical reproduction was an interesting concept that enabled rising artists to mimic the styles of reproduction.  The idea of mass producing art enabled consumers to be more exposed to the different lenses of artists of that time.  Benjamin argued that mass producing artist content would cause the radical cultural beliefs to be spread to the masses more easily.  He said, "their most powerful agent is the film.  Its social significance, particularly in its most positive form, is inconceivable without its destructive, cathartic aspect, that is, the liquidation of the traditional value of the cultural heritage"(39). Since film is technically many photographs compiled together, the strengths and cultural references seen in a photograph can also be explained, often in more detail, with the use of film.

Benjamin compares two very different professions to explain the relationship of photo vs film.  He explained, "magician and surgeon compare to painter and cameraman. The painter maintains in his work a natural distance from reality"(45).  Within the same example, a magician is within a natural distance from reality as well.  True sawing someone in half on stage, and having them survive, is unrealistic, but the realism of actively sawing someone in half keeps it at a natural distance.  If the magician  imply pulled a person in half without touching them, then it would be too distanced from reality.  The same idea can be applied to the painter.  If the image is too abstract it is still using the same materials and concepts as the simple painting. "Originally the contextual integration of art in tradition found its expression in the cult", however now with film there are more possible integration (40).  In the case of film, the integration of images are endless as that is what a film is,  However, integrating those images with movement and sound can add another dimension to the piece and therefore have additional cultural impact.