Week 3 - Robotics + Art

Walter Benjamin argues that art loses its value each time it is reproduced and replicated. He says the authenticity of a thing is the essence of all that is transmissible from its beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the history which it has experienced (Benjamin 1).

I disagree with Benjamin’s argument. I immediately think about cars in society today. Many of the high priced cars, like the Rolls Royce Phantom, are auctioned off several times a year starting off at a market price of just under $1 million with 40,000 different colors for buyers to choose from.  Even though there is more than one car made, there is still a high demand for this specific car.

In The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction Douglas Davis speaks about how Benjamin assumes that value is lost because of auctions and bidding, but once again, this is not true.

Not only does Benjamin believe that art loses its value as it is duplicated and auctioned, but he also believes that art is a result of machines, photography, and film. He also thinks that still art is the most effective way to relay a message rather than showing a movie or film.

I think that watching a movie is best to address a concern with society. Films posses words and have the opportunity to explain the meaning of each scene. Still art does not always have the possibility to explain its own meaning. Often times still art is left open for the public to pick apart and interpret. This is the magic of still art, but it can also work against itself. 

Star wars was one of the first movies made where people could see how "Robots" like C-3PO and R-2D2 could help humans in their day to day lives and overall help create more efficient factories or even increase the chances of a successful heart transplant. 

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.1936. Print.

Beadle, Teresa. "C-3PO." Pinterest.12 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995)." Leonardo 28.5 (1995): 381-86. Web.

"2016 Rolls Royce Phantom Serenity Release Date, Price, Specs." Cars Reviews 2016 2017. N.p., 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

Vesna, Victoria. "UC Online." Uconline.edu. Web.