Walter BenjaminThinkers

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a kind of unapproachability, that is, the unique phenomenon of a distance however close it may be.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a related to notions of uniqueness and authenticity, both of which become irrelevant in arts such as film which are eminently replicable in nature.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠all that is fascinating in a work of art, derived from its unique existence which endows it with symbolic authority. Its authority turns on the phenomenon of distance, that of the past and tradition.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠appearance of a distance, however close the thing that calls it forth. The trace, by contrast, is appearance of a nearness, however far removed the thing that left it behind may be. In the trace, we gain possession of the thing... in the aura, it takes possession of us.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠that whereby a thing, on the basis of its unbridgeable distance, takes possession of us... just as a trace is a kind of left-behind nearness that allows us to gain possession of a thing.

Aura's (n.) loss ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is associated with an aesthetic impoverishment, a loss of cultural value and a severing of the connection with the past... the autonomy of the image is one of the fetishes of capitalism.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the here and now of the artwork its unique existence in a particular place.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the singular leave-taking of the singular, whose singularity is no longer that of an original moment but of its posthumous aftershock.

The Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the symbolic authority of a piece of art gained from its uniqueness, its past, and its place within tradition. With modern reproducibility, that symbolic authority no longer functions.

Aura (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠with the possibility of reproduction, in a state of decay and disappearance.

The Author (n.) must ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠attend to teaching the writer about how writing stands in the mode of production. An author who teaches a writer nothing, teaches nobody anything.

An Author's (n.) politics ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is to be discerned by the extent of his reflection on his place 'in the process of production'.

The Author (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠tasked not to develop products, but to work with the means of production.