“In photography, process reproduction can bring out those
aspects of the original that are unattainable to the naked eye yet accessible
to the lens, which is adjustable and chooses its angle at will. And
photographic reproduction, with the aid of certain processes, such as
enlargement or slow motion, can capture images which escape natural vision.”
Walter Benjamin.
Interpretation
In this passage, Benjamin is explaining that the process
reproduction is more independent of the original than the manual reproduction. Also,
the importance and the quality of the photography which makes the images noticeable
from different ways. It can enlarge the images so that the very small or invisible
images can be seen and the slow motion allows people to examine movement or
motion that they cannot do it in real time.
Why I chose this passage?
I chose this passage because Benjamin tells us the
importance of the photography and how it is able to capture the images which
people have not noticed before. I think there is a vast difference between the
paintings and photography in portraying the images. Photography gives the more
realistic, clear and straight forward images which any people can understand.
Also I agree with Benjamin as he says, “these reproduction processes have a
power to convey message to the people and is useful for the formulation of
revolutionary demands in the politics of art” (Benjamin). The picture also
gives us the messages, describes the situation of that time frame as well as to
detect clues in crime scenes. The photography is very powerful and it describes and shows things without the use of words. For example, the picture of the Lynching of
mother and her son in Oklahoma shows the horrifying repression and injustice to
the Afro- American people and the insanity of KKK.
The technology of
photography has been so much developed from the period of Benjamin’s time till
today and will be more advance in future.
Reference
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
http://nihilismlehman.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html
I would have to agree with your interpretation of the quote. Its very true that the technology of photography back then is much more advanced today. The images that is taken today is much more clear, and looks more realistic with the new features that was developed.
ReplyDelete