James's Class Blog

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     Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" discusses the ability to replicate different mediums of art, and how those mediums have been adapted for modern times. The essay mostly focuses on the mediums of film and photography, though he does acknowledge that art has always been reproducible. In the first section after the preface, he cites printmaking as an important step towards replicable artworks as it is one of the earliest ways that was found that enabled easily replicated pieces. Printmaking eventually led to lithography, which was surpassed by photography, being joined by film soon afterwards.     It is important to note that Benjamin uses these points as a way to contrast communism and fascism. While it is alluded to in the prologue, in the epilogue of the book he states that fascism renders warfare and destruction as aesthetic, while communism politicizes art in response to that aesthetic. Additionally, Benjamin refers to early