Erica Gamester: Plato

Art as Imitation: Plato

In the beginning of the chapter, Plato’s concept of “forms” is introduced – which are non-physical and eternal versions of material items. The best way I was able to envision this concept is through Allegory of the Cave from the Republic.  Although his ideas were conveyed through Socrates, Plato describes prisoners who were chained, permanently facing away from the cave entrance. The light from the entrance allowed shadows to cast on the back of the cave. For the entirety of their imprisonment, they had only experienced shadows passing on cave wall. Although they observed silhouettes, they remained uncertain of the truest form of the objects. If the prisoners were unchained and turned around, they would realize the world is not what they initially conceived. Through this metaphor, Plato implies that we are all prisoners who have only perceived the world through its shadows, or imitative form.

Question: Plato claims that artists are imitators – How does he justify this?

In terms of art, Plato denotes artists as imitators. From his perspective, artists are painting, drawing, refashioning a shadow from a shadow and “far removed from the truth” (page 5). Since we only perceive shadows, the true form becomes further clouded through artistic rendering. While some artists consider their work as source of transparency, or perhaps a nuanced perspective, Plato insists that this influence is inappropriate as they utilize emotional appeal, rather than rationality.

Counter-question: If art is deceptive, does that make God deceptive for allowing us to be deceived?

Question: Why does Plato think artists are inferior to crafts people?

In Plato’s previous argumentative point, he states that artists are imitators since they recreate shadows from shadows, appealing to emotion. On the other hand, craftsmen recreate the same items that other crafts people make. This imitation is accepted to Plato because they copy the true form directly, rather than copying an deceptive form.


Counter-question: Would the introduction of modern styled objects (i.e. glass tables and plush chairs from Home Goods) change Plato’s opinion of craftsmen?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paul Chung: Aristotle on Art

Aristotle believed that art is imitation, and that it is a good thing. It pertains to humanity in ways that connects humanity. Imitation to Aristotle is relational in that humans learn from such as children. Even artistic values such as tragedies (mimesis) help to fosters an emotional connection to humankind. For Aristotle, a good tragedy produces Kartharis. Which is essentially, purification through pity and fear. The notion of imitation as a good thing, falls relatively short in that imitation is the reproduction or copy of something else. Whether it is a good copy or not, it derives from non original conditions.
Read more

Taylor Duffy - Reconsidering the Spiritual in Art

11/30 The part in reconsidering the spiritual in art that really struck me was the quote that said, "It was an artistic experience of art - a sense of the easy and seamless merger of religious and artistic experience, their inevitable reciprocity." In other words, you cannot have religion without art, and you cannot have art without religion. This made me think of van der leeuw's theological aesthetics section in Sacred and Profane Beauty. He states, "It is completely true that genuine, great art is, as a rule, also religious art; genuine, noble expression of the beautiful is simultaneously expression of the holy." This quote truly explains what art is and should be. It should be a creation of the most raw and spiritual experiences we have in our lives. This at least applies to great or fine art. It should evoke this holy awakening in the viewer. This is why creating art like singing a song or painting a fine painting is considered worship. There is such a ...
Read more

Beauty of Simple Worship

Tonight I witnessed something truly beautiful. The campus ministry, Cru, gathered in the chapel full of new faces and fresh first year students. I was running late, but when I arrived I did not feel late at all. I felt overwhelmingly welcome, included and invited in by new and old friends alike. Community is a truly beautiful privilege in life. I walk through the doors and the worship team was leading the filled room in song. There were no microphones, but we were going to lift our voices and our instruments to glorify Jesus regardless of technical difficulties. The night went on and the speaker delivered a message on the call to love Jesus and to love each other, which is a beautiful message in and of itself. However, the time came to close in song. This was when I recognized something spiritually greater than myself, while still not of its own divinity. In this time I experienced the biblical meaning of church. Again we stood to lift up the name of God. I closed my eyes, for I did no...
Read more