The Work of Art

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1、TheWorkofArtintheAgeofMechanicalReproductionWalterBenjamin(1935)“Ourfineartsweredeveloped,theirtypesanduseswereestablished,intimesverydifferentfromthepresent,bymenwhosepowerofactionuponthingswasinsignificantincomparisonwithours.Buttheamazinggrowthofourtechniques,theadaptabilityandprecisiontheyhaveatt

2、ained,theideasandhabitstheyarecreating,makeitacertaintythatprofoundchangesareimpendingintheancientcraftofTheBeautiful.Inalltheartsthereisaphysicalcomponentwhichcannolongerbeconsideredortreatedasitusedtobe,whichcannotremainunaffectedbyourmodernknowledgeandpower.Forthelasttwentyyearsneithermatternors

3、pacenortimehasbeenwhatitwasfromtimeimmemorial.Wemustexpectgreatinnovationstotransformtheentiretechniqueofthearts,therebyaffectingartisticinventionitselfandperhapsevenbringingaboutanamazingchangeinourverynotionofart.”—PaulValery,PiecessurL'art,LeConquetedel'ubiquite1PREFACEWhenMarxundertookhiscritiq

4、ueofthecapitalisticmodeofproduction,thismodewasinitsinfancy.Marxdirectedhiseffortsinsuchawayastogivethemprognostic2value.Hewentbacktothebasicconditionsunderlyingcapitalisticproductionandthroughhispresentationshowedwhatcouldbeexpectedofcapitalisminthefuture.Theresultwasthatonecouldexpectitnotonlytoe

5、xploittheproletariat3withincreasingintensity,butultimatelytocreateconditionswhichwouldmakeitpossibletoabolishcapitalismitself.Thetransformationofthesuperstructure,4whichtakesplacefarmoreslowlythanthatofthesubstructure,hastakenmorethanhalfacenturytomanifestinallareasofculturethechangeintheconditions

6、ofproduction.Onlytodaycanitbeindicatedwhatformthishastaken.Certainprognosticrequirementsshouldbemetbythesestatements.However,thesesabouttheartoftheproletariatafteritsassumptionofpowerorabouttheartofaclasslesssocietywouldhavelessbearingonthesedemandsthanthesesaboutthedevelopmentaltendenciesofartunde

7、rpresentconditionsofproduction.Theirdialectic5isnolessnoticeableinthesuperstructurethanintheeconomy.Itwouldthereforebewrongtounderestimatethevalueofsuchthesesasaweapon.Theybrushasideanumberofoutmodedconcept