Week 3: Robotics + Art

    In “”, Walter Benjamin discusses how advancements in technology and robotics will make their mark on the world of art.  In my personal experience, robotics has had both the power to improve art, while other types of robotics seem to almost destroy art.

    One topic Walter Benjamin emphasized was the “aura” of a work of art.  He states, “One might subsume the eliminated element in the term “aura” and go on to say that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art” (Benjamin 1).  In this passage, Benjamin tells us that although art can be replicated with new technology, these reprints and copies meant for mass distribution don’t carry the same weight as an original piece of work.  No machine will be able to replicate the hours of precision that come along with creating a work of art, brush stroke by brush stroke.

Aura Coming From Art

    However, there are a plethora of benefits that may come with our technological advances.  Some of these benefits include higher levels of inclusivity and involvement in art and fewer restrictions when creating art.  While replication of art may lose “aura”, perfect replication puts art in the hands of many who would have never been given the chance.  With technological advancements, artists can also create art in more ways.  They now have digital and physical tools to achieve the exact product they’re striving for.

A Robot Creating a Sculpture

    Ultimately, I believe art and robotics will go hand in hand in the future.  More advancements will lead to better, more accessible art.  As the world of art shifts, “aura” may be left in the past.

The Future of Art and Robotics

Works Cited

60 Minutes. “Robots Sculpt Marble in Italy, Sparking Worries about Future of Art Form | 60 Minutes.”    YouTube, 12 Nov. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VlkMuo2Zcs.

‌Gaskins, Nettrice R. “Title Pending 74.” VUE (Voices in Urban Education), vol. 52, no. 2, 6 Mar. 2024, https://doi.org/10.35240/vue.74. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

‌La-Gaffe, Gaston. “Art Reimagined: How AI and Robotics Are Sculpting the Future of Interactive Installations.” FAD Magazine, 12 Sept. 2024, fadmagazine.com/2024/09/12/art-reimagined-how-ai-and-robotics-are-sculpting-the-future-of-interactive-installations/.

‌Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936.

‌Davis, Douglas. The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (an Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995). 1995. 5th ed., vol. 28, MIT Press, 19 Oct. 2007.

Rolff, Bruce . Bright Aura, img.cdn-pictorem.com/uploads/collection/C/CM6DFJ9GGO/900_Bruce-Rolff_Bright%20Aura.jpg.

TNW. cdn0.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2023/05/amore-e-psiche.jpg.

‌‌‌Paintings, Artificial. Robots Creating Art: The New Frontier - Artificial Paintings, artificialpaintings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/947_robots_creating_art_the_new_frontier.webp.

‌