Jason Kearney Written Assignment One Stage Two

This paper will describe the cultural significance of photography, with particular reference to two pieces of work by Walter Benjamin. 'The Small History of Photography' and 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' will be analysed and from these a conclusion will be garnered with regard towards Benjamin's treatment of the subject matter.

In 'The Small History of Photography' Benjamin traces the initial cultural imprint of photography around the carte de visite (Benjamin, 1980:241). These cards were traded among friends and became the first mass produced by-product of photography. The profit margins were high as it was possible to get eight separate negatives onto each plate, thereby maximising output whilst keep material costs low. The success of the carte de visite was mainly due to the growing need of the expanding middle class to display their new found sense of identity. Photography in this instant was simultaneously a propellant of this ambition and a reflection of the cultural change taking place in the western world.

Photography is and always has been a tool to document, whether the means of doing so are accurate or not is debatable. The early portrait photographers were technically limited by long exposure times due to using low sensitivity material

for exposures. This meant their subjects had to pose without moving for long periods of time. One common aid to prop subjects in position was a pillar, under which a piece of carpet was usually placed (Benjamin, 1980:247). This farcical solution to a technical problem, when viewed in hindsight, made a mockery of the intended grandeur these portraits were supposedly created for. This could be considered as a cultural reflection of the time, people so caught up in the frenzy to portray their middle and upper class status that they overlooked details that gave the game away. However, in contrast, the long duration of posing had a alternate outcome. The expressions captured in early 19th century portraits are those of concentrated intent. The time given for the subject to pose gave room for them to involve themselves in the image, as opposed to the fleeting expressions captured in a modern snapshot. Benjamin feels 'the subject as it were grew into the picture' (Benjamin, 1980:245).

Perhaps one of the, if not the most significant efforts at documenting culture was the work of August Sander. His body of work which featured a portrait from almost every layer of German society is unparalleled in historical terms. With over 500 photographs, each depicting a different trade or type of person, Sander's work could be viewed as a cultural encyclopaedia of early 20th century Germany.

Benjamin commences 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' with the example of Greek methods of founding and stamping as a foundation for

reproduction. He defines this as "technical reproduction" in the sense that it differs from mass mechanical reproduction due to its restriction in application. Bronzes, terra cottas and coins were the only materials to which this technique was applied, it was severely limited in comparison to the other means of reproduction that were to follow. The introduction of the woodcut and its successor, the lithograph now gave graphic images a much wider audience. Unlimited copies of the same image could be reproduced and distributed far beyond the source of the original. This in turn gave way to the invention of photography, which significantly 'freed the hand of the most important artistic functions which henceforth devolved only upon the eye looking into a lens' (Benjamin, 1999:213). The essence of communication in any form is its ability to relay a message and to do so as widely, as quickly and as accurately as possible. With the arrival of photography (and in turn the moving image), reproduction had reached a form where its cultural impact would redefine culture itself.

Benjamin states 'Even the most prefect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be' (Benjamin, 1999:214). There is fault in this statement when the physical location of a reproduction is considered. A reproduction of the same photograph could appear in a gallery, in a newspaper or in a family album and individually each version has a unique presence in the space they occupy. This occupation determines the photograph's value and context. It is a stretch to say that each of the three examples lack a presence in space and time, they may

lack authenticity but nonetheless each has a role to play and a unique existence due to the form of its reproduction. It would be truer to say that the original is lacking the presence it would of had, had the reproduction never taken place.

He displays remarkable foresight when suggesting 'that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art' (Benjamin, 1999:215). In today's world of mass reproduction, no truer a comment could be made. With the constant bombardment of imagery through mass media, and in the last decade the Internet, the aura of the photographic image does not quiet have the presence it once had. For example it is without question that visitor numbers to photographic galleries would be a lot greater had the intended spectator not viewed the images many times before, in newspapers, online, even on the pamphlet for the gallery itself. Its ironic that the very means used to advertise the greatness of art result in diminishing the aura it would possess had its reproduction not existed. The Dadaists took reproduction to another level with the use of photographic images in montages intended for artistic contemplation. Much to the disgust of many critics, the visual bombardment and catastrophic composition of Dadaist imagery was an assault on the senses, using mechanical reproduction to its utmost capabilities whilst de-valuing traditional art by being labeled art itself.

Two key terms are now introduced, the cult value and the exhibition value of a

work of art (Benjamin, 1999:218). The cult value applies to a work of art created specifically to exist in itself, its authenticity as an object reigns above its visual value. At the opposite end of the spectrum we have the exhibition value, which could be described as the essence of the reproduction: it exists to be viewed. This had the cultural significance of photographers and artists creating works of art destined for reproduction, the very concept of the work of art being mass produced outweighing any value its original specimen would have possessed due to authenticity. Photography's early years until the dawn of the 20th century relied heavily on the cult value of the image. The concept of the aura also comes into play when regarding the portrait of a deceased loved one. The daguerreotype with its individual casing contributed further to the singular value placed upon images of lost relatives. The clear distinction between this form of reproduction on a once off basis and the mass reproduction of the popular image is evident with the documentary photography of Agtet. His images of deserted streets would not have been created had he not considered the exhibition value of reproduction. Their full interpretation would of not been implemented, had they been viewed by a select few.

With the introduction of photography into the artistic realm, Benjamin takes issue with the overlooked impact photography had on traditional art itself (Benjamin, 1999:215). He notes that commentators were too wrapped up in the discourse on whether photography was a true art-form or not to consider how it was influencing the status of the very art they were defending. Even those that were

both photographers and painters struggled to get their traditional art recognised in a changing world. David Octavius Hill, for technical reasons, took a serious of portrait photographs of his subject to be used as an aid to paint a portrait. With little control over the outcome of his efforts the photographs resulted in making him more famous than the art they produced. It is undeniable, particularly in this instance, that photography overshadowed art even when it was being used for non-exhibitionary purposes.

Another aspect of photography that eclipsed the significance of a work of art was the very reality that is contained with the photographic image. The fact that what one sees when looking at a photograph is a record of an event that once existed, precisely as it existed in history, leaves the viewer searching for more of their present reality within the image on front of them. This character of photography does not exist in a similar fashion in a painting (Benjamin, 1980:243).

In the late nineteenth century the phenomenon of sheep herd mentality was applied to how the public en masse react to a work of art. Critics viewing a work of art did so with an individual outlook, whilst the public would have a predetermined reaction influenced by the widespread availability of art due to mechanical reproduction. This in no doubt had a huge cultural impact on the aesthetic value of art, as the relationship between viewer and viewed had morphed from an aura based reaction to a collective response.

The work of Eadweard Muybridge comes to mind when Benjamin discusses the power of the camera to capture instances unobtainable to the human eye (Benjamin, 1999:230). Muybridge's discoveries in movement, most famously with regard to the stride of a horse, helped people understand anatomy in ways that were previously unrecorded. The slicing and dissecting of moments of time with the help of flash photography created new possibilities for people to understand how the human body functions. Even the ability of the camera to frame and isolate an object or subject from its surroundings shone new light on how life around us could be observed. Once again Agtet and his method of capturing scenes in Paris come into play. Instead of photographing the common picturesque scenes he focused on everyday occurrences 'a long row of boot lasts ... or the tables after people have finished eating and left, the dishes not yet cleared away' (Benjamin, 1931:250). Isolating details within the photographic image created a new way of viewing culture, dissecting the world that surrounded people and abstracting everyday life.

In conclusion one could say that Benjamins treatment of photography and its cultural influence are tied to a confined intellectual space. Even though the size of the two texts in question are also confined by a certain amount of pages he leaves out key elements concerning photographys cultural impact. For example the growth of the tourist industry and the concept of leisure time, both of these subjects had a symbiotic relationship with photography (and in turn mechanical reproduction). The editorial decision taken by Benjamin reaffirms the notion that

history is narrated from a point of view, a choice taken by the author as to what is of importance and what should be discarded. In summation two central points are raised by the two pieces of text. Firstly, that mechanical reproduction created a new value and perspective on pieces of art and photography. Secondly, that photography influenced peoples image of their social status and also was a means to visually investigate the mundane, a method of observing, investigating and reassessing the world around us.

Benjamin places a lot of importance on the value of authenticity whilst overlooking the aesthetic value of works of art and photography. His work was produced in a different age with regard to technology and communications and this has to be taken into consideration. Today, we live in a world saturated with imagery. The centrality of the Internet in most western peoples lives has greatly influenced the value of art and photography. Anyone with internet access can more or less own most popular pieces of art, rampant consumerism and fetishism has led people to want objects, regardless of their value, rather than possess anything of authentic value.

Bibliography Benjamin, W (1980) A Small History of Photography. In Trachtenberg, A (Ed) Classic Essays, Leete's island Books, Connecticut. Benjamin, W (1999) The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In Arendt, H (Ed) Illuminations, Pimlico, London.