An attempt to analyze the changed experience of art in modern capitalist society.
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
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About the Author
Walter Bendix Schonflies Benjamin (1892 - 1940) was a German-Jewish Marxist literary critic, essayist, translator, and philosopher. He was at times associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory and was also greatly inspired by the Marxism of Bertolt Brecht and Jewish mysticism as presented by Gershom Scholem.
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By G.
Format:Kindle Edition
Walter Benjamin's assessment of the nature and the value of art in juxtaposition to an industrial, materialistic, and modernizing world is a must-read for anyone interested in the study of communications media and the arts in society. Without this essay, the work of many modern critics, including Marshall McLuhan and Frederic Jameson, among others, would never have been conceived.
But remember, Benjamin was a socialist. His writing is in the public domain and available free of charge here (regardless of what country you're in):
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
I appreciate the role that Amazon has had in the dissemination of information at the dawn of the digital age, despite their primarily commercial interests. It is unfortunate that the US falls prey to unjust copyright regulations that limit access to freely available content, essentially holding knowledge hostage and demanding ransom. I hope this review will not be taken down.
But remember, Benjamin was a socialist. His writing is in the public domain and available free of charge here (regardless of what country you're in):
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
I appreciate the role that Amazon has had in the dissemination of information at the dawn of the digital age, despite their primarily commercial interests. It is unfortunate that the US falls prey to unjust copyright regulations that limit access to freely available content, essentially holding knowledge hostage and demanding ransom. I hope this review will not be taken down.
28 of 39 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
You Wanna Be Smarter Obviously, You're Thinking Of Buying This Book
September 5, 2009
Format:Paperback
Your first step in that direction would be not to buy this book. This essay is available in "Illuminations" along with a host of others for just a little more money. $9.95 for a 36 page essay? Prove how smart you are.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of Walter Benjamin's most influential essays. It has to do with the changing way we perceive works of art and culture now that they can be mechanically reproduced. Works today are detached from their original place in the Tradition, their connection often with cultic and religious worship and are instead mass copied and reproduced. Benjamin suggests that they lose their authenticity and are perceived in wholly new ways. Benjamin speaks primarily about visual Art and much is written about the way Photography and Film alter our perception, deprive the work of its static being and transform it into a series of moving images. Benjamin connects the aesthetic transformation and concludes the essay with a criticism of the Futuristic pro-Fascist manifesto celebrating War.
There is much in the essay I did not understand. Benjamin is an artist of complex metaphors and each of his sentences is difficult to decipher. He is the critic as creator and each sentence of his begs for rereading and reinterpretation. As Camus said of one of Benjamin's favorite subjects Kafka he must be read and reread to be truly understood. And then read again and still not be completely understood.
There is much in the essay I did not understand. Benjamin is an artist of complex metaphors and each of his sentences is difficult to decipher. He is the critic as creator and each sentence of his begs for rereading and reinterpretation. As Camus said of one of Benjamin's favorite subjects Kafka he must be read and reread to be truly understood. And then read again and still not be completely understood.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very thoughtful work
A well written and well thought out book. A classic to go back to again and again. Will give me alot to think about.
Published 1 month ago by jabou
5.0 out of 5 stars
A modern version of a classic
What can I say? This is a modern print version of the classic work on art in modern capitalist society. Read more
Published on January 11, 2011 by Drake Donegal
