Can Art Be Mechanically Reproduced?

Can Art Be Mechanically Reproduced?

When something is reproduced for so many times is that art?

This is one of those questions that will always have some people saying yes, and some saying no.  I believe a reproduction is art. For instance, we have all seen the famous photograph of Whistler’s Mother and agree it is a work of art, but most of us have only seen it in a book or magazine.  Very few of us have actually visited the museum in Paris to view the original.  The same goes for other forms of art.  We agree Beethoven and Mozart were musical geniuses, but we have only heard reproductions of their original work. If we look at Kevin Carters photograph Starving Child it doesn’t matter if we see the original or a reproduction, the impact intended by the photograph is the same and they are both considered artistic.

(Carter, 1994)

What is the importance of mechanical reproducibility of the art?

Mechanical reproduction of art allows the beauty of the piece to reach a wider audience. It is both educational and needed in order to make sure older pieces don’t become forgotten. In some cases, mechanical reproduction enhances the original. Although it loses the beauty the original holds, we can now edit the piece of art to be more pleasing to the eye by adding light or colour to it in the case of a photograph or remove the static sound on old recordings when reproducing audio.

What is the impact of the mechanical reproducibility on society?

As I said before mechanical reproduction aids in educating way more people than if only the original existed. It also opens up a whole new discussion. Some viewers think certain photographs are considered way to graphic to be shown where others believe the world needs to know the truth no matter what the content. We also need to consider the impact of the internet and social media. Like the controversy as to which colour the dress was, gold or navy, a picture created by mechanical reproduction that started a Twitter war because people believed what they personally saw.

What is the main point of Walter Benjamin’s article?

In Walter Benjamin’s article The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction, I think Benjamin wants us to realize that there are certain things that are lost when art is reproduced. Like the patina on an old urn we cannot see this type of historical beauty once reproduced. He also wants us to understand the evolution of reproduction from its earliest known state, so we can understand the evolution of reproduction and how it came to be what it is today. “The camera introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses.” (Benjamin, Walter, The Work of Art in The Ages of Mechanical Reproduction, Section 13).

Is photography art, or contribution to art?

I believe it can be both. There are certain photographs that are highly regarded as art and have been for a very long time. The portrait if Winston Churchill for instance, the iconic photograph of crying children taken near Saigon during WWII or Marilyn Monroe standing on a grate as her dress blows upward. These are all considered art. Although when a painter or sculpture uses a photograph to recreate the picture on canvas or into stone, to me this is photography as a contribution to art.


(Ut, 1972)

Is photography just a tool for artists?

For some yes. As I stated earlier a lot of artists use a photograph as an idea to create something else, but a photographer’s tool is the camera or lighting. The photograph is the art created.

How and why did Henry Peach Robinson create Fading Away and what was the reason?

Henry Peach Robinson created Fading Away by combining five different negatives into one to create a scene conjured up by his imagination. Every aspect of the photograph was staged, and Robinson wanted viewers to see that photography was not just an avenue to show reality but to also regard photography as an art form like watercolour or sculpture. “no departure from the truth of nature shall be discovered by the closest scrutiny”. (Robinson, Henry Peach, Pictorial Effects in Photography: Being Hints on Composition and chiaro-oscuro for Photographers. To which is added a Chapter on Combination Printing p. 198)


(Robinson, 1858)

Photography has impacted the world of art and influenced some changes in the area of accessibility to art. If mechanical reproduction created revolution, what is happening now with digitalization?

Digitalization is evolving furiously. Almost daily there is new software and new techniques available to create or enhance a photograph. It is used in every day life now from adding whiskers and ears to a selfie or photoshopping the thighs on a super model. Digitalization is the way of the future whether used in art or for fun. Let’s just hope the history of the photograph isn’t lost in this fast paced, ever changing electronic world.