Poof's Web3 & Art Theory: Lesson 1

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Alright, by request, I'm going to do small intros to art theory. First lesson: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" by Benjamin Written in 1935, this work contends with authenticity of art (and more) in the context of new technology. Thread below 🧵 ↓

Section 1: Try reading the original text and/or engage with supporting content below... The Original: web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/benjamin.pdf Video Summarization: youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Work_of_Art_in_the_Age_of_Mechanical_Reproduction Broader theoretical context for overachievers: plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-ontology-history/

Section 2: What does it say, broadly... This is a foundational text in art theory, and has specific relevance in the Web3 context. For Benjamin, he was contending with art coming into contact with the broad populace both due to technology (photography) and institutions.

The simple example is the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa was once the only Mona Lisa... You had to travel to a specific location in space and time to see it. And in all likelihood that would not be accessible to you to begin with (see its owner: King Francis)...

Now there are postcards, towels, JPEGs, and so on of the Mona Lisa. Great, democratized! Everyone can enjoy it... But if I offer you the original Mona Lisa or my Mona Lisa towel which one do you want? Obviously the original. Why is that? Uhh... "aura."

Benjamin's finding is that despite the intuition that reproduction lessens the value of the original. The original maintains its value / authenticity quite well. The aura is how Benjamin describes the specificity of the original "thing," but the exact aspects of it are vague...

This is where things can get heady... but I think what Benjamin does nicely is talk about how, in a historical context, we got to this point. This is where he assesses art historically as having a "cult value." A specific experience to go see a thing that is borderline religious

Take for instance, the Mona Lisa example, if you had the privilege of seeing it in King Francis' collection, it was a very singular, private experience. Similar to seeing a statue in a Greek Temple or visiting a Holy Relic in a Church.

Now compare that experience to going to an "exhibition" where the public can freely see a piece of art. Or to the experience of seeing the Mona Lisa on a postcard, privately in your own home. That unique "cult" value no longer exists under reproduction -- that is lost.

This is where the "aura" now becomes a keeper of value of the original thing. Now there are a number of different ways to understand how this "aura" of the Original comes to be. Is it culturally reinforced? Institutionally? Or is it a faulty concept? etc

At a later time, we will see later thinkers wonder if the Original can exist without the Reproduction. Or push further to say that the Original no longer exists at all because you always already think of the reproduction. e.g. You can only be real in the context of the fake...

Section 3: Why is this interesting in the context of Web3? This one is pretty obvious... We are in the opposite moment. Where we have only known hyper-reproduction... JPEGs, internet, etc make all things accessible at all times.

In response, NFT's are actually the exact opposite scenario to what Benjamin wrote about. They are a way of making something that was inherently many into an "original." A singular identified object. Now whether this is about restoring an "aura" or not: that's for us to discuss.

Section 4: Close / Discussion Can figure out how we want to run this section... but post your discussions / thoughts / anything else here Hopefully this is helpful... and know -- my summary and the summaries of others will always miss some nuance in the text... ✌️