The Commodification of Impressionism In A Contemporary Landscape
A Meditation on Media Aesthetics and Immersive Art Experiences
In his essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", Walter Benjamin asserts that techniques of mass reproduction have permanently altered the nature of art. He argues that this phenomenon degrades and dismisses creativity, effort, and originality. Benjamin's position is correct, as the commodification of aesthetic activity has an overwhelmingly negative effect on culture and art. The historical reception of Impressionism and the contemporary reproductions of works belonging to this movement exemplify and reinforce the text's theories about public consumption and artistic value. Benjamin's argument is situated in a 1930s context; thus, his perspective only reflects artistic reproductions he witnessed. Today, as residents of the digital age living in a state of late-stage capitalism, we experience the mass replication of art on a much larger, complex scale. It is no longer solely performed through lithography, print, photography, and film; nevertheless, the concepts developed in the text are still relevant. For example, Benjamin's thoughts on film as a reproductive medium can translate to modern technological innovations such as video clips, social media, and digital editing.
Toronto’s 'immersive art exhibits' serve as a contemporary, local example of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art being commodified for commercial gain. In 2020, the "Immersive Van Gogh Experience" opened its doors, featuring digital projections and animations of the eponymous painter's most well-known pieces on the walls of a warehouse. Another digital show, titled "Beyond Monet", which began in 2021, serves the same purpose while highlighting [and desecrating] the work of another iconic Impressionist painter. Both of these attractions demonstrate three of Benjamin’s points: The commodification of Impressionism in these settings diminishes the importance of artistic expertise dividing painter and public since they oversimplify the artistic process to render it easily consumable. The appearance of immediate contact with reality arises through cinematic reproduction and editing techniques, since editing and moving images play a central role in immersive Impressionist exhibits. The sense-ratio of aesthetic and cultural engagement shifts from visual to tactile as these shows stimulate multiple senses and encourage audience interaction.
To put the perversity of this situation into perspective, one can compare these immersive tourist attractions to the AGO's 2019 transient exhibit, "Impressionism in the Age of Industry", which featured over 120 original pieces by artists such as Monet and Van Gogh. The AGO is known for its ongoing efforts to keep gallery visits affordable and make art accessible to the masses; As a result, adult tickets to "Impressionism in the Age of Industry" were twenty-five dollars (AGO, 2019). By contrast, adult entry to any Immersive Experience is at least forty dollars. Ironically, the latter is more expensive, despite not offering visitors the opportunity to view authentic examples of Impressionism/post-Impressionism. The price difference is an example of how artistic reproduction is often used for commercial gain by corporations under the guise of making art more accessible to the proletariat. In his essay, Benjamin declares that "Painting simply is in no position to present an object for simultaneous collective experience, as it is... possible for the movie today" (235). It is logical to draw a parallel between the medium of film and immersive exhibits, with their moving projections and animated brushstrokes. Though the authentic Impressionism exhibit did well during its time at the AGO, people tend to gravitate toward entertainment over art, as demonstrated by the consistent popularity of interactive digital shows over the past couple of years.
Under capitalism, mass artistic reproduction is innately exploitative. In a critique of the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, University of Toronto student Elena Foulidis writes: "What appears at face value to be innovative is just conformity of a different kind — a perversion of traditional art with a glaringly commercial intention" (The Varsity, 2020). These effortlessly digestible, commodified digital art shows dilute the essence of Impressionism to make it more palatable for mainstream audiences by allowing them to engage with it in multiple ways, such as touching the projections and listening to a special soundtrack. In a primarily positive review of the Beyond Monet attraction, Toronto blogger Laura Whelan explains that "Beyond Monet aims to bring guests into Monet's artworks. It turns you from a spectator into a character within the frame" (The Creative Adventurer, 2021). Though some may interpret the interactive aspect of such artistic reproductions as a positive example of participatory culture, I sustain that it is negative. The need to have all of one's senses stimulated by art demonstrates a shift in the sense-ratio of aesthetic and cultural engagement from visual to tactile.
Immersive exhibits transform paintings into entertainment through video technology, editing, and animation, as though these pieces are not meaningful or compelling enough to stand on their own. The digitalization of Impressionist paintings is successful because the general public lacks the critical awareness and willingness to engage with art in its original form. The popularity of such events exemplifies the way society no longer values art for its 'aura' or uniqueness. It is also a symptom of a collective dependency on easily-accessible pleasurable content. In the digital age, people are used to being instantly rewarded by the media they engage with; thus, they derive satisfaction from passively consuming entertainment instead of actively taking measures to interpret it. Foulidis captures this sentiment in her review, writing, “A subjective experience captured in stillness on canvas was instead in constant movement, undermining van Gogh’s lively line work that carries enough suggestive power in itself. The movement does what your own imagination is meant to” (2020). We can liken this phenomenon to something Benjamin refers to as the 'binary of contemplation vs. distraction'. He writes, "The painting invites the spectator to contemplation; before it, the spectator can abandon himself to his associations. Before the movie frame, he cannot do so. No sooner has his eye grasped a scene than it is already changed" (Benjamin, 238). The action of observing art is inherently thought-provoking. It demands effort, whereas watching a 'film' (or really any digital, moving image) distracts audience members from engaging in analysis.
In conclusion, I agree with Benjamin's belief that the fundamental essence of art has been changed for the worse by large-scale reproduction. Authenticity and ‘aura’ no longer hold the same weight, and artworks have been transformed into objects of consumption, erasing their originality. The 19th-century Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements gave birth to prodigies, like Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, whose contributions to art and history deserve to be preserved as accurately as possible. Taking the works of such painters out of context and reducing them to visually pleasing objects, to be edited and projected on walls or printed onto household objects or clothing and sold, detracts from their creative value.
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1935.
Foulidis, Elena. “How Masterpieces Are Reduced to Brands - a Review of the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit.” The Varsity, 24 July 2020, https://thevarsity.ca/2020/07/23/how-masterpieces-are-reduced-to-brands-a-review-of-the-immersive-van-gogh-exhibit/.
“Impressionism in the Age of Industry: Monet, Pissarro and More.” Art Gallery of Ontario, https://ago.ca/exhibitions/impressionism-age-industry-monet-pissarro-and-more.
Whelan, Laura. “Honest Review of 'beyond Monet', the Revolutionary Impressionist Painter Who Changed the World.” The Creative Adventurer, 19 Sept. 2021, https://thecreativeadventurer.com/honest-review-of-beyond-monet-the-revolutionary-impressionist-painter-who-changed-the-world/.