B- The Case of Media
1) Walter Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, 1935.
William
Films, at the time of Benjamin’s writing, were just that: physical recordings of images on cellulose. In an age of instantaneous digital production and reproduction, however, there is often no original physical object. Would Benjamin describe the world we live in as nearly devoid of aura? Does this paradigm necessitate distracted, rapid absorption of media? How capable are we of contemplation, of entering a work of art?
Yuan
1. Benjamin used the term of “aura” to demonstrate the authenticity of traditional art work. In order to understand the transmission of art after reproduction, What is the content or characteristics of the “aura” ?
2. In section VII, why Benjamin refused to add ritual elements to his explanation of film? Although the other two quotations are too extreme and have less bearing, the fact that people are attracted into the cinema, silently sit together reconstructing the story that film is trying to let you believe with the help of director, editor and actors. Sometimes it could be so unrealistic but the authenticity of the story is revealed in spectator’s mind. This process is so close to ritual according to my understanding.
3. Why he asserted and discard concentration in the statement: “Architecture has always represented the prototype of a work of art the reception of which is consummated by a collectivity in a state of distraction”? (P13)
Rob
- With theatre, it is very obvious that one is a spectator watching a scene unfold on stage. With film, isn’t it still obvious, no matter how good the filming, that one is still a spectator because there is still a separation between the action and the viewer?
- In my opinion, the magician-surgeon and painter-cameraman analogy seems backwards. To me, it seems as if the painter is more significantly involved in the work than the magician. Could we discuss what is meant in this discussion and what Benjamin’s actual intentions were with this analogy?
- What does Benjamin mean when he writes “for the tasks which face the human apparatus of perception at the turning points of history cannot be solved by optical means, that is, by contemplation, alone. They are mastered gradually by habit, under the guidance of tactile appropriation” (page 13).
2) Marshall McLuhan, “The Medium is the Message”, Understanding Media, 1964.
William
In making a case for the importance of medium, McLuhan dismisses content, describing it as “a juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind.” Although there is tremendous value in ascribing such importance to the methods and implications of specific delivery, to what degree should we focus our attention on it? How do we, or should we, properly divide our attention between traditional content and an awareness of medium? Or am I misunderstanding McLuhan’s dissociation of message and content?
Yuan
1. What’s the range of definition for the term of “medium”?
2. Why author use cubism to demonstrate “medium is the message”?
3. What’s McLuhan’s suggestion on encountering new medium?
Rob
- What is McLuhan trying to achieve by affiliating Shakespearean quotes with modern technology?
- What is meant on page 398 when McLuhan says “In our own world… we are losing all confidence in our right to assign guilt?”
- Can we discuss Tonybee’s concept of “etherialization” on page 400? It seems unclear to me.