1. In the second section, Benjamin states that, "The presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity." This statement caught my attention because it relates to some of the questions brought up by our Manovich reading. It seems a common element in discussing reproduced art is the concept of the original. In this day and age, however, most of our mass produced digital art really has no true original. According to Benjamin's statement, doesn't that fact jeopardize the art's authenticity?
2. Right from the very beginning of this reading, Benjamin jumps into a whole batch of political ideas dealing with Marx, and fascism. I understand how he incorporates capitalism into his points, but I'm having trouble finding relevance in his other political mentionings. I'm not personally very familiar with politics, fascism especially, so I'm sure that doesn't help much, but Benjamin's whole preface just seems to be a jumble of political analysis. I think he's talking about present day modes of production, and their effects on art, but that small point seems to be lost in his philosophical wordiness.
