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Mike Watson, "The Memeing of Mark Fisher: How the Frankfurt School Foresaw Capitalist Realism and What to Do about It" (Zero Books, 2021)
New Books in Politics and Polemics
Democratization Comes at the Cost of Aura
The mass reproduction of images during industrial capitalism transformed access to art, allowing people to experience works like the Mona Lisa through various media, such as books and postcards. This proliferation led to two significant effects: it diminished the 'aura' of the original artwork, which refers to its unique, almost spiritual quality, and simultaneously democratized cultural access by making art more available to the public. However, while the accessibility increased, the unique charm of the original piece was lost, creating a paradox where both original and reproduced artworks became less distinctive in their own right. Encountering the artwork in a crowded setting also detracts from its individual allure, as familiarity from reproductions can overshadow the profoundness of the original experience.
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