Even through people’s lifestyles may not be changing very quickly, media, such as the internet, are having profound new effects on peoples’ imaginations. From man-made artifacts to replicas, in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin asks an intriguing question: “When does a unique work of art become a reproduction?” Benjamin illustrates how the ‘developmental tendencies of art under the present conditions of production’, are driven by the mechanical means of reproduction. In other words, the new relative ease of reproducing art and music is changing the nature of art itself.
In his work, Benjamin emphasizes the uniqueness of an original work of art. He refers to an artwork as having an aura, and emphasizes the ‘nautral-ness’ of its features and history. He goes on to mention that, when it is reproduced, an art work loses its aura: “In principle a work of art has always been reproducible” (Benjamin, page 1). However, the reproduction of a work of art is limited in the sense that it will not replicate the original essence of the original work (by essence, I mean its uniqueness and place in history). On the other hand, Walter Benjamin discusses the fact that, over time, as technology improves, the relationship between an original work of art and its reproductions might also improve. This can be seen in the example of the “Jai Ho” videos on YouTube. After the movie Slum dog Millionaire became such a big hit, ‘Jai Ho’ became an exceedingly popular song and dance in the world of YouTubers. There are several versions now, replicating the original work. Through the different works, we see different forms of expression in their production of the video ‘Jai Ho’.
For example, we can see the original Slumdog Millionaire popular hit (Jai Ho )through the various interpretations of The Pussycat Dolls, Karan Khokar and Divya Ikara-Tamil Sneham, and much more. The replication of ‘Jai Ho’ by the Pussycat Dolls shows us a different concept or outlook on the interpretation of the song. Although Benjamin might see this as threatening the authenticity of the original work, when I think about it analytically, I must ask: 'Aren’t these different works demonstrating the different perspectives and skills of these artists, drawing on their own ideas of what they want to present in relation to the arts of song and dance, and what the original song meant to them, in contrast to the original work of ‘Jai Ho’? While the original piece still remains the same, yet Walter Benjamin would argue that the aura of the piece is lost due to these constant replications.
Walter Benjamin states that in the context of tradition, films destroy many of the traditional values of cultural heritage. I question this, however, because while, over time, our culture remains the same, yet it shifts due to changes in technology and current event, etc. Because of these shifts in culture, to which we must adapt when necessary, media have become a social necessity for many around the world. Our dependence on media demonstrates how influential they have become in making sense of the fast-changing world around us. Therefore, many would question whether or not films and videos are destroying the traditional values of specific national cultural heritages. Could it be possible that films and videos, such as the Pussycat Dolls version of the more traditional ‘Jai Ho’ actually contribute to our cultural modernity, while, at the same time, complementing the essence of the original work of art? Or do replicated versions, in fact, dissolve the work’s aura and its meanings? Benjamin emphasizes the point that the object or work of art’s aura is reduced when we take it out of its original context or origins. There has been a grand transformation over time, in which art, which was once introduced through ritualistic practices that didn’t have to be viewed by many people or that only certain people could see ), is now created for a world-wide audience. The idea of moving away from the precious and ritualistic view of art was seen first in the profession of photography. The cultural artistic dance from Pakistan (India?) has been replicated and morphed into the style of the Pussycat Dolls. In this sense, it has become sexier and more fashionable, which, because it stands in stark contrast to the original work that is associated with compassion, love and a sense of cultural identity, only serves to highlight the original by comparison. This demonstrates the huge impact of worldwide media on present day art.
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