Art That Blindfolds, Art That Reveals

For the past centuries, up until now, the meaning of art has never been specifically defined. But among the great Greek philosophers, two of the most well-known have had their views on this matter.

PLATO'S AND ARISTOTLE'S IDEA OF ART

According to Plato, there is an existence of a world full of ideals. His philosophy reveals that we, humans, are living in an imperfect imitation of an ideal world. In a sense, if the life we live on earth is only an imitation of what is ideal, and art is an imitation of life, then we can very much see how he came up with the concept that “art is an imitation of an imitation”.

Plato had an issue concerning the works of the poets and artists. He believes art expresses little to no truth at all since it remains to be pointed out as an imitation of an imitation – further noting that it has already compromised what is true. He even suggested that the poets be banned from society, for introducing ideas that are twice far from reality. In his perspective, art keeps us away from the truth, which is why he seems to identify artists, in general, as liars.

Aristotle, on the other hand, does not focus on ideals alone but instead observes nature. For him, art is an attempt to access the truth; “art is an imitation of action”. This means that an artist does not destroy and taint the truth but only reflects what is true. It is a reflection of change, of what’s happening around us.

His philosophy speaks of how a human person must be able to feel and be exposed to different kinds of thoughts and emotions to function in the best way that is possible. And one of the most applicable ways there exists would be creating and experiencing art itself.

Plato’s view emphasizes how art can deceive humans into believing that a particular matter exists, even though in reality, it does not. For him, art was meaningless, unless it served the purpose of increasing the knowledge of the society, or at least the goal of making people accept life as it is and not fear death. Else ways, Aristotle’s value over individual searches and development can be observed. His beliefs highly acknowledge the concept that truth is dependent upon a person's mind and external factors. Therefore, reality will not make sense unless the mind reaches a point of processing what exists.

If I were to choose between their art views, I would pick Plato’s idea that art should serve a purpose for society, but I would also pick Aristotle’s concept of how art plays a key role in shaping and helping society reach its fullest potential.

When creating art, although interpretations rely on the viewers’ eyes, considering your intentions behind the artistic expression should be valued still. Art, in my opinion, must not be limited only to what is concrete. Art can also be abstract – still an imitation yes, but can also be a representation; not to bring people away from reality, but to lead people into thinking about what reality is.

If art becomes a means of replacing the truth with something less than true, it becomes dangerous. That’s why as long as the motivations are for the highest good, art will continue to serve its purpose. By mirroring and revealing a variety of theories and concepts, may it be the horrors of life or the exaggerated heavens, then art could be a major stepping stone and main driving force behind the search for truth, pursuance of passions, and understanding the soul.

The only adverse effect of this is that, when we, humans, become too consumed by representations, that we fail to link imagination with what’s happening in reality. Art no longer makes us want to connect and understand what had existed, what already exists, and what could exist in the future; art no longer makes us work for what is just and what is right, as it locks us away from progressive thinking, and leaves us stuck in a loop of make-believe. This, I guess, is what Plato emphasizes. Without discipline and mastery, art can lead us into ignorance.

Plato’s and Aristotle’s viewpoints however were not that different from each other. It can be concluded by most people as opposing ideas; however, I must say, that both are related and linked to each other, fueling the search for the meaning and true potentials of art. Indeed, Plato seems to conceal other possibilities, focusing only on reiterating that art and imitations can be utilized greatly for evil intentions, such as drowning society in false realities. Aristotle’s idea does not deny this fully, but in addition, he introduced an array of art and imitation functions, especially how essential it is in human life, growth, and survival.

Art has been one of the things that keep humans on a constant journey of finding out what is true and what is falsely constructed. Art makes us actively participate in a ride of emotions and thoughts, which is vital in achieving developed minds and well-intended actions. By trying to create an escape from reality, art is able to reveal the huge gap between deception and truth; art makes us realize even the slightest difference between the two, and as a result, we become aware of what is actually real.

#art #blindfold #truth