Notes: Exploring the death of ‘the aura’
Exploring the death of ‘the aura’, the modern digital age and an antidote to the artists nihilism.
There has been a nagging feeling I have been experiencing as a creator, analyst and pundit which is combination of various feelings and experiences. The is problem is this: Art, content and entertainment lacks meaning, it lacks inspiration, cultural drive and ‘aura’. This idea of “aura” is important to the concept I am trying to express. I have tried to form the basis of a solution for this which I have used the metaphor of ‘zooming in’.
Aura.
The philosopher Walter Benjamin in his essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Benjamin argued that in the pre-modern era, artworks had a unique aura that was linked to their originality, authenticity, and cultural significance. However, with the rise of mechanical reproduction technologies such as photography and printing, the aura of art was diminished as the artwork became more widely accessible and could be easily reproduced.
The Modern Day 2023.
Today we are living in a post-modern era and Benajmin’s thoughts if they could be argued in the 1930’s need not be argued as persuasively as the death of the Aura. Short-form video takeover like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have become dominant in recent years due to a combination of high-speed internet., powerful algorithms, and the rise of a new generation of content creators who have embraced these platforms as a primary means of self-expression and communication.
The ease of access to digital content and the rapid pace at which it is consumed has led to a devaluation of the importance of any one particular-expression or piece of content. The idea of the "aura" refers to the unique quality or presence that an original work of art possesses, and which cannot be fully captured in a reproduction or digital copy.
In the digital age, we have access to an enormous amount of content from around the world, and this has led to a sense of homogeneity, where everything starts to look and feel the same. Moreover, the constant stream of new content and the ease with which it can be accessed has diminished the sense of importance that any one expression or piece of content may have.
As a result, there is a sense that no expression is truly special, and that no content is worth reflecting on as a viewer because there is always another piece of content ready to be consumed. The emphasis has shifted from quality and meaning to speed and quantity, leading to a culture of instant gratification and superficial engagement with content.
This has implications for both creators and consumers of digital content. Creators may feel pressured to produce content at a rapid pace, which can lead to a dilution of their creative vision and a lack of depth in their work. Meanwhile, consumers may find it difficult to engage deeply with any one piece of content, leading to a sense of disconnection and a lack of appreciation for the importance of art and expression.
Lack of depth.
This idea of depth being lost in important to the ‘zoom in’ coping mechanism. To be an artist means you are looking at what’s been done before and trying to propel ‘what has’ into ‘what could be’. The key role of an artist is to build upon what has already been done and push creative boundaries to create something new and innovative. Being an artist involves more than simply creating something that is aesthetically pleasing or emotionally impactful; it also requires a deep understanding of the creative traditions and techniques that have come before and it is this novelty that will push it’s aesthetic qualities.
Artists must be willing to put aside their own aesthetic preferences and emotional reactions in order to objectively observe and analyse the work that has come before. This means taking a critical and analytical approach to their own work and the work of others, rather than simply relying on their own subjective experiences.
By "listening" to the work of others, artists are able to gather information that can help them in the construction of their own aesthetics. They can learn about different techniques, materials, and approaches, and use this knowledge to inform their own creative process. They can also gain a deeper appreciation for the history of art and culture, and use this understanding to create work that is both innovative and meaningful.
Understanding creative traditions and techniques requires ‘stepping back’ where you must stop ‘talking’ and start ‘listening’ where you are away from the aesthetics and emotion of your work and you are gathering information in order to aid this construction of aesthetics.
Is issue is this, if you ‘step back’ too far to an extent you loose the immediate emotional reaction you had when first experiencing the work of art. The critical part of you that analyses cannot step back into the emotional reaction it. This is only exacerbated by homogeneity of the modern digital space where everything has been done, every novel creation of the theme has been tried and your special ‘take’ on a theme has probably been done somewhere before.
Abandon.
Artists can feel like their work is lost in the noise of millions of other creative expressions, and that their unique take on a theme has already been done somewhere else. Ultimately this links to a broader idea of nihilism, where not just your art but everything you do in life is ultimately pointless, average not unique in any sense. By this token, what then is the point of investing anything into anything. Why not conserve as much energy as possible and use the various content that is available already for satiation.
Thought Experiment.
Two people go to a beautiful secluded spot in the vast mountains of a county side. They are madly in love, the journey is unbelievably unique and special, no one comes to this little area of land with this view before. They are both young and closely connected to each other, their short night in such a beautiful spot was no closer to heaven for the both of them – that small moment for them was the most significant connection they both ever could feel. It was by all measures “meaningful”.
Now consider the same mountain space after than couple leaves, in a few months another couple finds such a space who also enjoy a meaningful night, the special/uniqueness of the first couple may be diminished slightly because of this. Then every 3 for moths a new couple, group or individual finds the spot and proclaims their uniqueness and discovery of meaning. You could watch this space over the course of years, figures coming and going over this space, weather changing more desolate, the area still and never changing. On a long enough timeframe with a far enough perspective, the scene is devoid of meaning - the people who visit can be signified in numbers, their journey, their love, their connection and all notions of anything ‘meaningful’ can be reduced to statistics. It may feel like in this scenario we know more about the scene, we know more about the people and the impact of this seclude spot but it lacks colour, meaning and feeling. Leaving us disinterested, alone and completely bewildered by vastness.
Instead of zooming out however, let’s zoom in. To that one moment between our first couple, where everything meant everything to the both of them for that one day. Where to them, such a moment was worth 1000 years to each of them by that location, it’s emotional intensity left an imprint on them for the rest of their lives.
Sure enough, zooming out reveals more to us, that that feeling of specialness was actually much removed from the truth and that by zooming out we feel empowered by the knowledge and perspective we have gained. But by zooming in, as constrained and trivial as it may seem it is filled with colour and emotion, intensity and a drive forward the things that are the essence of life.
Zoomed out
By zooming out, we gain a broader understanding of the space and the people who visit it, but we may lose the emotional intensity and individual experiences that make each moment significant. By zooming in, we can focus on the individual experiences and the emotional impact of those moments, which can provide a deeper sense of meaning and connection. As an analyst it’s typical to live a life zoomed out, critically evaluating every aspect of life, people, places, history etc. The constant framing of each facet of life leads to a nilhistic confused and bewildering lifestyle where there is no commitment to anything. This is a exploration of Benjamin’s “aura” and it’s the cultural zietgiest of digital media space we find our selves in in 2023.
Zoomed in
With the ability to zoom out, it’s tempting to stay looking down from a zoomed out perspective by claiming that knowledge of the whole situation is empowering. But it is a sacrifice that is made in error of feeling foolish. If you are zoomed in you might feel ignorant to the world around you. But the act of zooming in, being in the moment, is empowering in itself, it is more courageous – it is commitment to that you have established zoomed out.
Psychological evidence and notes to an artist.
Even in psychological literature there are spotlights of the idea that a zoomed in perspective is the antidote to nihilism, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has conducted extensive research on the topic of “FLOW”. In his book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience," Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity, where one is fully engaged and focused on the task at hand. The concept of "flow" emphasizes the importance of being fully present and engaged in individual experiences, rather than focusing solely on outcomes or external rewards. This idea suggests that finding meaning and fulfilment in life requires a balance between broader perspective and individual experiences. And so, the ability to zoom out is the mode of the artist. But it is important when creating a piece of work to not breach the borders of zooming out in that it leads to nihilism even if our digital culture is pushing us to do so. You may have doubts about your output, you may want to stay “zoomed out” forever, critically assessing your ideas without committing to an aesthetic you have created. But it is the act of being zoomed in that fully creates the meaning and happiness that we crave for, personally and aesthetically.
In conclusion, the modern digital age has led to a devaluation of the importance of any one piece of content, and this can lead to a sense of homogeneity and disconnection. To counteract this, artists must be willing to take a critical and analytical approach to their own work, while also taking the time to appreciate the creative traditions and techniques that have come before. Moreover, it is important to strike a balance between having a broader perspective and being fully present in individual experiences. This idea of "zooming in" can provide a way for creators to find meaning and fulfilment in their work, and for consumers to engage deeply and meaningfully with art and expression.