Power of the Original

Coming back to this blog after a few days off, where I have had the time to think about certain aspects of Art, I tried to apply some of theories to my own experience.

I used to live in London and was fortunate to look around some of the major Art Galleries such as the Tate Modern, Tate Britain the Portrait Gallery etc. Reading through Walter Benjamin he talks about the 'Aura' of Original art, I wondered if in today’s age, is the Aura now redundant? From my own experience, I don’t think that you can underestimate the connection you form when you are in the presence of the 'Original'

I remember subconsciously being stopped in mid step by the portrait of Henry the VIII in the Portrait gallery.

(I think it was this one)

I think it was the fact that I remembered the image from my old history school books, and here I was stood in front of it. I cant say it is the most striking painting I have ever seen, but just to be at that moment the only person to be stood in front of that painting, which must have been locked away in my mind somewhere, was quite a strange feeling. In those few moments, it triggered thoughts of being stood in the same relative place of the Artist, the fact that the actual Henry the VIII was also in its presence and must of stood in front of the painting to view it, how small the actual painting was, how drab its surroundings was and how innocuous it was.

All these thoughts were triggered by the Painting 'Aura' I guess, not a replication of it on Google Images. I don’t think that you can quite get the connection with a work of art if you are not in its presence. I'm not really stopped in my tracks often to be honest, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.