Can art be mechanically reproduced?

When something is reproduced for so many times is that art? What's the importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art? What was the impact on mechanical reproducibility on the society?

When something is reproduced over and over I do believe it is still art, it is merely a copy of the original art. If it is an exact copy of a painting or photograph I believe that is a complement to the artist. Don’t we all have photographs or painting around our schools, malls, church’s, even our own home; a majority are probably a reproduction, and don't we all do appreciate seeing these? Also; if it is a reproduction no matter how many different iterations people have of a painting the original message is always there. This allows us to open our mind and see one art piece in many different ways. The importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art according to Benjamin is the “intimate fusion of visual and emotional enjoyment with the orientation of the expert. Such fusion is of great social significance. The greater the decrease in the social significance of an art form, the sharper the distinction between criticism and enjoyment by the public”. Through mechanical reproducibility the negative feel that come with some works of art have been lessened and easier for society to look at. Mechanical reproducibility has become important to society because it is a way to learn more about history therefore learning about society.

This is a reproduction of an original.
Do you still receive the original message?

Is photography art, or contribution to the art? Is it just a tool used by artists?

Photography allows us to express feeling and emotions. Photograph is a form of art which makes it both an art and contribution to art. Artists have used photography as a tool to create other forms of art, but it is more than just a tool. It is used by artists as an instrument that describes who they are, by captures beautiful moments in life. To be a photographer you need to have the skill and eye of an artist, therefore yes photography is an art form.

Can you still feel the emotion?

How and why Henry Pitch Robinson created Feading Away? What was the 
reason?

In 1858 Robinson exhibited Fading Away, a picture printed from five different negatives. This work illustrated the peaceful death of a young girl surrounded by her grieving family. Although the photograph was the product of Robinson’s imagination, many viewers felt that such a scene was too painful to be tastefully rendered by such a literal medium as photography. The controversy made Robinson the most famous photographer in England. This controversial photograph, made some feel that the subject was not suitable for photography and that only painters could portray images like this one and it was not right for photographers.

Photography has impacted the world of art and influenced some changes in the area of accessibility to art. If mechanical reproduction created revolution, what is happening now with the digitalization?

I personally embrace digitalization, the world has changed a great deal since the beginning of time, and if you ask me its all been for the better. Digitalization is just making it easier for people to do things; it is opening things such as photography to a larger crowd of people, allowing a lot more creativity and less of the technical aspest. Yes, it is probably going to take away all the skill needed to do things for technology is growing so much pretty soon we wont even need to push a button to change the settings on a camera, turn on a computer or write a text message. However, the antique method of doing things will always be around, so embrce the future.