Reflections on Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Warhol and Baudrillard in Dialogue

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Industrial Revolution promoted the invention and application of modern mechanical products. The rapid development of productivity led to a speedy improvement in the material standard of living and a surplus of material goods, but the problem of "depersonalisation" arose as individuals gradually lost their sense of satisfaction and individuality in the same mechanised work. The Pop artist Andy Warhol reflected on this era of mechanisation through the reproduction and imitation of forms, initiating his discourse and reflection on the industrial age. A century later, French philosopher Jean Baudrillard put forward the concept of "Simulacra", pointing out that in the information technology and consumer society, the media, such as television, advertisements and the Internet, create a large number of virtual images and information, blurring the boundaries between the reality and the fiction, so that people gradually lose their sense of authenticity and personality in the "Simulacra". This paper will analyse the roots of Warhol's ideological evolution from the individual to the times through the understanding of Warhol's self-description as well as the social activities and values of the time, and use Baudrillard's "Simulacra" and "Surrealism" to explain why Pop Art has transgenerational significance and the exploration of public values it opens up.