The Work of Art

All artwork, be it sculpture or painting, has an 'aura'. Aura is what an original artwork has such as the mystery behind its meaning and/or making.

Ex: The 'Mona Lisa' is a very famous painting. Everyone imagines what it would be like to actually see it in person. It is a beautiful piece which many to expect to be quite large when in actuality it is quite small. There are other things about the 'Mona Lisa' as well as other works that help to explain 'aura'. This is just one example.

As there are originals, there are also replicas. When an artwork is replicated, it still maintains the aura of the original. When someone does not know that the replica is a replica, it holds just as strong an aura. However, once someone discovers that the replica is a replica, most definitely not the original, the aura fades. The replica still holds a mystery, but it is not as strong as the mystery held by the original.

Benjamin argues that photography, and even printmaking to an extent, does not have an aura at all. The reason for this is that it is not made by human hands. This can be argued as false since it is indeed by human hands that the image is shot. The photographer must look for the image and make sure everything is in focus and so on. Once the image is taken, the photographer may leave the image be or edit it either in PhotoShop or the dark room. Either way, human hands are at work, even if it is through a machine.