Art in our modern world.

Some question to ask your self?

How do the ideas from Walter Benjamin's "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" apply to contemporary digital media? Do digital "things" have an "aura" (in Benjamin's terms)?
How does technology effect the "aura" of art? This is an interesting question when you look at the parameters of art itself. I can see what is meant by "the aura" of piece of art whether it is a painting or a film. And granted a digital picture may not present this "aura" to some people but art is an individuals perception. The artist would like to convey a feeling or message with their work but they can't control how it will effect the appreciators of the piece. Beauty is still in the eye of the beholder. I wonder what he would have written if he had been born in one of the next few generation after experiencing concerts with light shows or that snap shot of a new born babies little feet.

There was a time when "Art" was made by artists who were skilled professionals. Now that anyone with a computer can create things digitally (music, images, videos, etc), what does that mean for "art"?
I think we will always have great artist but the definition of are grows with the emergence of new technologies. Creating art has become more available to the masses. The ability to create art for your own pleasure is something that this age of technology has created as well.

Is a photoshopped image "authentic"?
What is authentic? How may for the painting hanging on walls around the world are authentic?