Benjamin, Post Class 2/11, meg143

In our reading by Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Art of Mechanical Reproduction” there were a lot of very interesting quotes and ideas that became much more clear to me after discussing them in class. After reading this for the first time I felt that Benjamin was trying to say that we live in a society were there are reproductions of everything, leaving the original and authentic pieces with less value and importance. However, listening to the concepts again and trying to understand the deeper meaning behind it, I feel he is now discussing how this mass reproduction may have also just made society better at spotting an original versus a reproduction and also taking great appreciation in authenticity. “The presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity” (20). For something to have true authenticity the original needs to be there for the real legitimate appreciation. My first example I used in class when discussing this was the difference between reading about and seeing reproductions of the Mona Lisa painting in history class and then finally being able to see the original painting in the Louvre museum in Paris. This is an example of an original being a bit of a let down after hearing so much about it, to see that it is a very small painting that is behind thick glass and doesn’t seem to be as unique as I had always heard. However, that didn’t stop me from appreciating the authenticity and the legitimacy of the painting. And while studying in Europe I had many more awe struck moments of seeing historical art and buildings that I had only seen pictures of and learned about in school. Even if something in it’s original form turns out to look or feel different than you might have imagined it is always appreciated for it’s inspiration and authenticity.