“Photography did not appear as a challenge to paint from the outside, any more that industrial cinema did to narrative literature. The former was only putting the final touch to the program of ordering the visible elevation by the quattrocento; while the latter was the last step in found off diachronous as an organic whole, which had been the ideal of the great novels of education since the eighteenth century. That the mechanical and industrial should appear as substitutes for hand or craft was not in itself a disaster- expecti if one believes that art is in its essence the expression of an individuality of a genius assisted by an elite craftsmanship.”( Lyotard, pg. 40)
This quote reminded of a discussion that has been ongoing in my history of theatre class. Currently, we have been discussing the relevance of theater in our current quarantine times. The theater has been shut down for the last couple of months and will continue to be shut down at least till the end of the year. Many companies (as well as our own theater department) have resorted to zoom productions, where actors are able to perform plays in the comfort of their own homes. While it is not the same as live theater, it has filled a void form many performers. Within this debate, many have argued that it is not safe for theaters to open and that it is now time for theater to be over with. “No one will want to come to the theater anymore because of its safety issues. Our current technological advances have made theater, in many people's opinions void and unimportant. In my opinion though, just as Lyotard talks about how advances in technology in the early 20th century didn’t replace the art of the past, I feel like the same will happen now. The theater will never be replaced. It could be altered or modified in some way, but there will always be a crowd of people who want to sit and have a lived experience with others.
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