I agree with Katie. I think modern technology does contribute to a demise of aura to some extent. I think that seeing a work in its original form, rather than seeing it in reproduction, will always have value. The physicality of an object has a power that adds to the experience of art. When I see a painting, I also imagine the painter in front of it and like to look at the brushstrokes and other aspects that create the "reality" of the painting for me. I think that's why I enjoy developing my own prints in the darkroom more than having them printed, or creating something with my hands and pen and ink instead of using photoshop. The unique feeling of a work that Benjamin discusses is a direct link from viewer to artist, and as such adds to the way in which we perceive a piece. I think there's also something to viewing a piece of art, such as Guernica, for example, and imagining the many other people who have also looked at this same painting in various settings over the years. For me, there is something special about works that one is never able to reproduce, or record, for that matter. It lends itself to a different nature of perception in experiencing the piece.
Mechanical reproduction has however drastically broadened the scope of art and created many new tools and options for experiencing and creating it in previously unheard of ways.
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