Description: Benjamin's famous "Work of Art" essay sets out his boldest thoughts--on media and on culture in general. This book contains the second, and most daring, of the four versions of the "Work of Art" essay--the one that addresses the utopian developments of the modern media.
Brief description: Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) was the author of many works of literary and cultural analysis.
Review Quotes: In recent decades, Benjamin's essay on the work of art may have been quoted more often than any other single source in an astonishing range of areas--from new-left media theory to cultural studies, from film and art history to visual culture, from the postmodern art scene to debates on the future of art, especially film, in the digital age. The antinomies and ambivalences in Benjamin's thinking, his efforts to explore the most extreme implications of opposing stances, are still invaluable for illuminating the contradictions in today's media environment. Anyone interested in the fate of art, perception, and culture in the industrialized world must welcome this collection of Benjamin's writings on media.--Miriam Hansen