1)
quoted 3 lines He semes to think that an original object of art holds some form of>He semes to think that an original object of art holds some form of
>platonic "Essence", essences are a seriously outdated philosophical
>concept, as much 30 years ago as they are today.
Benjamin is actually questioning & problematizing that essence, indeed the
very idea of "authenticity." (BTW, this essay is from the 30s, if I
remember correctly - not the 70s).
And if you believe that all artistic "essences" are bankrupt, I'd urge you
to go stand in front of a Rothko. Painting, a pre-mechanical process, is an
instance where the aura adheres to the object itself.
2)
quoted 4 lines The packaging might be pretty to look at, even in some cases>The packaging might be pretty to look at, even in some cases
>art, but it has nothing at the end of the day to do with the music.
>Appreciation of music is not affected by the fact that it was originaly
>bought in a shop or wether it was downloaded off the internet.
Actually, a materialist account would argue that in fact packaging,
distribution, and all other formal & economic contextualizers have just as
much to do with the work of art. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum (although
our reception of it, at times, could try to recreate that vacuum). In other
words, as cultural objects age (whether CDs, scores, or artworks not tied to
physical containers, like songs), history sticks to them like barnacles.
3)
Finally, for a fascinating piece of music dealing with the idea of aura, the
object and reproduction, check out Stefan Mathieu's "Wurmloch Variationen"
(Ritornell), one of my favorite CDs this year. He records a piece on piano,
redubs it 20 or so times, and includes 5 of those dubs on the CD, presenting
a portrait of the work of art in decay.
Phil
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