Marie89, Benjamin

I had never thought of art as dependent upon politics or social movements, but I guess it does have a lot to do with how the world is perceived. On page 21, Benjamin states that the reproduction and permitting of reproduction of artwork leads, “to a tremendous shattering of tradition which is the obverse of the contemporary crisis and renewal of mankind” (21). It is interesting to think that along with capitalism came a new way to create and classify artwork. The ways in which people perceive these things have changed as well as new mediums have become available which suggests a new type of control over the viewer. For example, the camera has full control over the emotion of the viewer of film, museums may control who views artwork and in which way as it may be prefaced for mass viewing, and other new forms have begun to enter the realm of “art.” Going along with this new form as perception brings up another point which is stated on page 21 as well, “The manner in which human sense perception is organized, the medium in which it is accomplished, is determined not only by nature but by historical circumstances as well” (21). In other words, the ways in which we communicate, view artwork, etc, have changed over time as new things that add to our overall existence have emerged. After reading this, I immediately thought about Facebook and the new world in which social networking has evolved. Texting and social networking sites have begun to change the ways in which relationships form and are maintained, just as film, etc. have changed the ways in which the mass media view and think about artwork. With great shifts in the Internet and what has the overwhelming amount of information available, the ways in which people function is forever changed and will continue to change. I do not believe that art has been commodified, but rather modified with changing times. One should not expect that the way art is viewed would be timeless, as people are always gaining more information through a surplus of sources.