Professional Documents
Culture Documents
4, October
I
For the proper understanding of the Benjaminian concept of aura, the know-
ledge of the conditions of its use by him are essential. The lexicographic
meaning is obviously of little use here. Fortunately, Benjamin himself explains
the meaning he intends to convey. First he introduces the concept of authenti-
© Oxford University Press 1993 357
358 THE MECHANICAL REPRODUCIBILITY OF ART WORKS REVISITED
city, by which he means the 'essence of all that is transmissible from its
beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the his-
tory which it has experienced' (WAAMR, p. 284). Unfortunately, however,
to clarify this concept of aura he only succeeded in blurring it through the
introduction of an allegory or metaphor meant to evoke, communicate or
stimulate a feeling putatively adhering to the concepts quoted in the preceding
paragraph: 'the unique phenomenon of a distance, however close it may be.
If, while resting on a summer afternoon, you follow with your eyes a moun-
tain range on the horizon or a branch which casts its shadow over you, you
II
It is not to be doubted that Benjamin's kind of aura may actually enhance the
enjoyment of art for viewers so inclined. But I came to distrust Benjamin's
type of aura because it refers to something which is not in the work of art; it
is, indeed, an extra-aesthetic feature. It differs in many important aspects from
other imaginary products of contemplation of art works, as evocation and
associations which are normally triggered by something in them. Benjamin's
aura misleads and distracts the beholder from the true aesthetic values, formal,
compositional, textural or structural and even from those that are volitional,
i.e., attributable to the will of the artist.
IAN KNIZEK 359
Ill
IV
Contemplating Atgetian plates in the New York Museum of Modern Art
with all the attention they deserve, one is immediately tempted to dissent
from Benjamin's dictum, because it seems that Atget's photographs possess
something which they share with good paintings: this peculiar and ineffable
360 THE MECHANICAL REPRODUCIBILITY OF ART WORKS REVISITED
VII
An important feature connected with Benjamin's Reproducibility thesis is his
disdain for photography as art or, better to say, his reluctance to concede to
photography the category of art. Jerome Stolnitz (p. 346) has revealed Benja-
min's overall strategy: 'Deflate the value of high art for aesthetic experience
and all the other economia come tumbling down . . . (liquidated) without
IAN KNIZEK 363
VIII
In his spirited refutation, Jerome Stolnitz (p. 350) answers his own question
as to how Benjamin got himself into these messes. A partial answer is that
Benjamin reasons the way he does under the compulsion of an ideology.
Another set of explications exists however. Some of them are relatively free
of Benjamin's all-embracing orthodox ideology.
Let's consider, for instance, the series of reasons why Benjamin has chosen
to limit his endeavour to visual arts and the film and why after mentioning a
phonograph record in the same breath as a photograph he refuses to occupy
himself with the former again. Benjamin must have become aware that even
in his lifetime mechanical reproductions of music had already reached a
respectable level of technical perfection. This has resulted in an increased
popularity of serious music. The case of print is similar as printed books may
be considered a prima-facie example of reproduction. This Benjamin admits,
but brushes it off claiming for it a special, though particularly important
'status'. Nevertheless, Benjamin must have been familiar with the historical
effects of the Guttenbergian revolution.
I wish to propose here that Benjamin's refusal to support his main thesis
by reference to the two most ubiquitous Reproducibility examples, books and
phonographic records, is owing to his awareness that the historical evidence
of their appearance and performance in time would contradict his a priori
conclusions.
There might have been a second reason for his not following up on his
initial hint initiated by coupling the phonographic record with a photograph.
It could be that Benjamin did not feel himself at home in the realm of music.
We have also observed that he was not quite fortunate in his excursion into
the field of the visual art of painting. We may begin with his inept choice of
364 THE MECHANICAL REPRODUCIBILITY OF ART WORKS REVISITED
the works of Hans Arp as an example of those Dadaist works which 'became
an instrument of ballistic' using an equally unfortunate metaphor. (WAAMR,
pp. 296, 297.)
IX
A certain lack of feel for the visual art of painting informs almost every one
of his ventures into that field. He betrays this weakness in his earlier essay (2
January 1929) about Surrealism10 where his treatment is mostly literary. And
X
Most damaging for Benjamin's Reproducibility thesis is the opinion of Bertolt
Brecht for the simple reason that it comes from another Marxist colleague.
In an almost sarcastic entry of 25 July in his Work Diary12 Brecht writes that
Benjamin has discovered aura in his analysis of the film where, together with
the cultic, it decays owing to the reproducibility of art works. He qualifies it
as full of mysticism within an anti-mystical posture. 'In this form is the con-
IAN KNIZEK 3 ,5 5
ception of historical materialism adapted' he writes. And then adds: 'It is quite
horrible'.
The circumstances of this outburst, entered into the work journal on 25
July 1938, is not known. It seems, however, that it could have easily been the
result of simple rivalry. Hannah Arendt writes in her 1968 introduction to
Benjamin's work (StoLnitz, p. 237, n7), that he wrote his essay in order to
outdo Brecht in radicalism.
Brecht's censure is important above all because it articulates doubts which
many non-Marxist workers in the field of theoretical aesthetics and art history
REFERENCES
' The available English language translation alter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit'
bears a slightly but significantly different in Gcsammelte Schrifien 1.2, edited by Rolf
title, namely 'The Work of Art in the Age Tiedemann and Hermann Schweppenhauser
of Mechanical Reproduction'; (later (Suhrkamp, 1974), pp. 431-471.
5
WAAMR) in Bercl Lang and Forrest Willi- Walter Benjamin, 'L'oeuvre d'art a l'epoque
ams, eds., Marxism and Art (David McKay de sa reproduction mecanisee', in Gesam-
Co. Inc., 1972), pp. 281-300. This phrasing melte Schrifien, translated by Piere Klossow-
follows that of the earlier French translation ski (Suhrkamp, 1974), pp. 709-739.
6
'L'oeuvre d'art a l'epoque de sa reproduction Rolf Tiedemann and Hermann Schweppen-
mecanisee'. Since Benjamin himself collab- hJuser, 'Anmerkungen' in Gcsammclte
orated on its preparation he is unlikely to Schriften (Suhrkamp, 1974), pp. 709-739.
7
have had any objection to this wording. Theodor W. Adorno, Aesthetic Theory.
2
Ian Knizek, "La ontologfa de las reproduc- Translated by C. Lenhardt (Routledgc &
ciones mednicas de Walter Benjamin', Kegan Paul, 1984), p. 386. German Ori-
Plural, No. 185 (February 1987), pp. 38-41. ginal: Aesthetische Theoric, edited by Gretel
3
My views were almost instantly challenged Adomo and Rolf Tiedemann (Suhrkamp,
by Juan Acha in 'Lcctura ingenua de un texto 1973), p. 4°8. (Later AT.)
8
de Walter Benjamin', Plural, No. 187 (April Walter Benjamin, 'Kleine Geschichte der
1987), pp. 46-49. Acha accuses me of'naive Photographic'; Angelus Novus: Ausgcwiihlte
reading of a historic materialist's text' owing Schrifien ('A Little History of Photography")
to my alleged 'idealistic-objectivist' mili- (Suhrkamp, 1966), Vol. 2, pp. 229 ff. (Later
tancy. KGP.)
* Walter Benjamin, 'Das Kunstwcrk im Zeit- ' Jerome Stolnitz, 'On the Apparent Demise
366 THE MECHANICAL REPRODUCIBILITY OF ART WORKS REVISITED
of Really High Art", Journal of Aesthetics and " CliveBell, 'The "Difference" of Literature',
Art Criticism, Vol. XLIII, No. 4 (1985), pp. New Republic, New York (29 November
345-358. 1923). PP- 18-23.
10 l2
Walter Benjamin, 'Der Surrealism', Gesam- Bertolt Brecht, Arbeitsjoumal (Work Diary)
melte Schriften, Vol. 1 (Suhrkamp, 1966), p. Vol. 1, 1938-1942 (Suhrkamp, 1973), p. 16
215. (Later S.)