TYPE PROJECT

FAROCKI/BENJAMIN

After reading some of The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin I can make concrete connections to Harun Farocki's film, An Image.

The sentence that struck me most from the reading was, "The technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition." Farocki's film presented how detached the process of making a picture for Playboy is when the exact image they are trying to create is an erotic one. In the film the model struggles to find her perfect pose all the while Farocki's camera angles and shots show the imperfection of the model, set, and photography team. The creating process is not erotic in the least, I actually find myself feel bad for the model, what a horrible job that would be.

The other interesting point is that Farocki uses film/video which is a reproduction of the Playboy photography making process. So by watching the film we are in fact detached because we are not actually at the scene of the crime. However, I think if we were there we definitely would not feel the same detachment from the photo shoot which is the point of Farocki's film.

Farocki most likely chose film as his media because it can capture more than a moment in time. Film can create a scene that endures. Farocki enhances the film and his point by using altered camera angles and switching the frequently along with strange music. The fact that this is a film means that it can be reproduced many many times very easily. Film is designed for reproducibility which makes it so much easier to get it out to the masses.

PICASA PHOTO EXPERIMENT

I looked through the 50 most recent photos uploaded on Picasa and picked these 3 as the most interesting.

• This photo of the windmill interested me because I have never seen a windmill in real life. It's quite sad too. With everyone thinking green nowadays a windmill a practical solution. On another note though, I think they are beautiful in shape and form and the reflection in the water doubles its interest.
• I love old biddies! I think this photo is great, there is so much contrast that it is very visually appealing.
• The two people sky diving is awesome! I wonder who took that picture: another sky diver or someone on the plane? My favorite part about this photo is that you can see the shadows of the clouds on the ground.