Dialogue between Walter Benjamin and Myself - Assignment Example

I am famous for combining Romanticism, Jewish mysticism, and historical materialism to make influential contributions to Western Marxism and aesthetic theory. Within the communication realms, Benjamin is known for the ‘aura’ concept (Benjamin 19).

Me: That is a very amazing description. So what is the ‘aura’ concept? Benjamin: In recent times, the concept of the aura has had many definitions depending on the area of application. During the initial creation of the concept, however, the term was synonymous with the traditional work of art, particularly in the field of cultural, visual, and literary studies. In essence, the term described the groundbreaking cultural shift from uniqueness to seriality, from authenticity to replication, and from the original artwork to its inherent soulless mechanical copy.

Me: As far as communication and journalism are concerned, the concept has come under serious criticism, especially the lack of clear-cut and stable categorization from your writings (Benjamin 23). Indeed, a portion of the critics suggests that your writings provoke multivalent and ambiguity, rather than offering neat shorthand for the transition from the traditional to modern culture. Your take, please? Benjamin: Well, I think their basis for criticism is rather vague. In my essay The Work and Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, I specifically emphasize on the concept of aura and the decline of photography, similar to other technological innovations.

Further, I challenge the uniqueness and originality of photography due to the unprecedented replications. Me: Please continue.Benjamin: A programmatic analysis of the essay that I previously mentioned will show that I present the relationship between photography and aura as a clear-cut opposition. Thus, photography, as a medium of mechanical reproduction, is among the driving forces behind the decline, and thus destruction, of aura. I assert that the element that withers in the era of technological reproducibility of artwork is its aura.

In essence, the process is symptomatic and perhaps extends beyond the boundaries of art. This is because photographic reproduction of original works of art endows them with accessibility and mobility, thus altering their fundamental mode of reception (Benjamin 24). In this regard, therefore, the contemplation characteristic of the traditional spaces of museums and galleries submits to an eagerness for control and possession. Me: That is a very sensational explanation. It is beneficial to me as far as the concept of aura in photography is concerned.

However, I have a further query concerning a portion of the essay where you seem to devote photography as an entirely self-contained medium, instead of a reproduction tool. Please explain. Benjamin: You seem to have an interest in my works, and for that, I will explain my position. Looking at the essay, I present a brief historical detour to early portrait photography, noting the fleeting expression of the human face and the aura signaled by the early photograph. Thus, photography may be considered both a tool of aura destruction and the last site of its appearance (Benjamin 27).