Question about “The Work of Art”

What is art? How can we define a piece as of work of art? Walter Benjamin said: Work of art are received and valued on different planes. Two polar types stand out; with one, the accent is on the cult value; with the other, on the exhibition value of the work.” The work of art can be recognized by its “hidden sprit” and “present”, and later he also said architecture is the prototype of a work of art which can be approached by use and perception; touch and sight. Can work of art be define as “touching” the “hidden sprit” and “seeing” its present?

Question about “The Medium Is the Message”

What is page 394 to page 395 mean? Particularly, the relationship between mechanization and the message.

Page 401, “… he could have found out nothing of the change in human and social psychology resulting from typography… Program and “content” analysis offer no clues to the magic of these media or to their subliminal charge.” If typography has not altered the pattern of human behavior or social actives, then what is the driving force of Reformation, wide spread of scientific discover and later the discover of new world? Reconsidering the quote: “for the message of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs.”