When something is reproduced for so many times is that art? What's the importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art? What was the impact on mechanical reproducibility on the society?

When something is reproduced many times I don’t think that you can necessarily call it art but more of a copy/representation of that original piece. Something about making copies of an original piece doesn’t make it feel as real after a while. William Benjamin said “Even the most perfect 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”. This reinforces the idea that something about reproduction takes away from its realness. He uses the term “aura” that original art pieces process that you are not able to recreate with copies of an original.

The importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art according to Benjamin is the “intimate fusion of visual and emotional enjoyment with the orientation of the expert. Such fusion is of great social significance. The greater the decrease in the social significance of an art form, the sharper the distinction between criticism and enjoyment by the public”. this means that through mechanical reproducibility the negative auras that come with some works of art have been minimized and easier for society to look at. Mechanical reproducibility has become important to society because it is a way to learn more about history thus learning about society.


Is photography art, or contribution to the art? Is it just a tool used by artists?

Photography is an art and also a contribution to art. Art is defined as human creativity therefore it can be in any form including photography. Photography has also been a contribution to art by recreating art pieces for the masses to enjoy instead of just a few. Artist has used it as a tool to create art but it is more than just a tool to make art.


How and why Henry Pitch Robinson created Feading Away? What was the
reason?

Robinson created “Fading Away” by composing of five negatives into one picture. The reason it was created to capture “the despair of the other members of the family” and that this was never before done with photography. It was something that was accepted if a painter did it but not photographer.


Photography has impacted the world of art and influenced some changes in the area of accessibility to art. If mechanical reproduction created revolution, what is happening now with the digitalization?

Digital reproduction will make it possible to reproduce the same pieces over and over to the point that it will be hard to tell from the orginal.