Week 3: Robotics+Art

Through the lecture part 1 of Professor Vesna’s, Walter Benjamin’s idea that mechanical mass production destroys and puts an end to the uniqueness and authenticity of arts, is quite inspiring. The idea is so profound and crystal, even it was first brought up in an earlier period. One of the examples would be the digital paintings on sale in a lot of the supermarkets, which were unique when paintings could only be created by people’s hands before mechanical production came out.

 “Mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art”, actually in both positive and negative ways, in my perspective.

Take automobile industry as an example. Before Henry Ford introduced the pipeline production, which was an inchoate model of industrial robotics, people never imagine average middle class family could afford one or more cars, and cars are made by hands and they were each treated as an art project, because the bore more aesthetic value. Ford stream line destroyed some artistic values in cars. Yet as science and technology develops, people are no longer satisfied with a car can only serve the purpose of transportation, they want artistic value added back to their cars. Then different kinds of concept cars, super fast, fancy model, equipped with high-tech artificial intelligent control system, shows up and able to do much beyond transportation. Since this kind of nontraditional cars cannot be put into mass mechanical production, they can be treated as artistic works because of their uniqueness and artistic value. 

The art in my mind is not the beauty only lives in the libraries or on the papers, but the true happiness that everyone deserves to feel and enjoy. That is the advantage mechanical production brings. Meanwhile, what we can’t deny is the inevitable negative-influence during the fusing. However, I deem that advantage is more than disadvantage for sure. Mechanical reproduction of art makes arts getting greater ever. 

Citations:

1. Vesna, Victoria, Robotics pt1. Web. 18 Oct 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw9_v6w0ew&feature=player_embedded>

2. “Walter Benjamin.” . Wikipedia,. Web. 18 Oct 2013.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Benjamin>.

3. Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” . UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Web. 18 Oct 2013

<http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm>. 

4. Ford Assembly Line. 2012. n.p. Web. 18 Oct 2013. <http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Labor/L_Overview/Ford_Assembly_Lines.htm>.

5. Cool Concept Cars. 2011. n.p. Web. 18 Oct 2013. <http://xaxor.com/engine/23480-cool-concept-cars-part-3.html>.