Plato and Art Theory

     The discussion of what makes art has been a topic of many theories from antiquity to modern times. The great Greek Philosopher Plato (427-347 BCE) argued that art forms, such as sculpture, painting, pottery, and architecture, were ‘techneē’ or skilled craft and not art (Freeland, 2003, p.18). They were mere mimicries of life that appealed to the emotional and spirited side of the soul and not to the intellectual. Plato felt that these art forms were imitations that were limited representations of reality. Plato also felt that poetry fell into this category and was not considered an art form. Plato was also very critical of tragedies and felt that they did not depict the ideal forms of nature and reality. Artists were dangerous to the ‘ideal’ government in that they could influence the passion and imitation of the people, which could cause people to create connections to falsehoods and corruption (Doyle, 2024). Plato felt that only philosophy truly grasped higher thoughts and intellectualism.

 

            There is a connection between art and how it can ignite passion and mimicry in people. It is a visual information conduit that shares history, ideas, and emotions. Plato felt that this was dangerous and, as a means of control, banished artists from the republic because he felt they had the power to encourage immoral behavior and a representation of a distorted look at true reality (Gingell, 2000, p.71) For Plato this may be his truth, but it is the reality that he gleaned true and complete. His theories created limitations on the creative potential of human experience. Plato argued that if art couldn’t depict morality and intellectualism, it had no purpose, but what is moral is a fluid concept in different cultures. Also, it was noted that much of the world was illiterate during Plato’s time, and censoring and limiting art helped keep the Republic obedient. Art allows for a deeper understanding of moral, social, and spiritual concepts through imitation and symbolism. The introduction of new art forms, such as photography, challenged imitation theory with its realism. Modern art movements such as Impressionism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and Abstraction moved away from imitating the world around them and focused more on the artist’s individual creative thought and process. The goal isn’t necessarily to imitate the world but often to delve into deep, complex concepts that create a deeper understanding of the human experience.

 

References

Doyle, J. (2024, January 1). Week Two-Plato, Aristotle, Warhol. Tiffin University. Retrieved March 23,

2024, from https://online.tiffin.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=1525710&chapterid=5538

Freeland, C. (2003). Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press Academic UK.

https://tiffin-bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780191579325

Gingell, J. (2000). Plato’s Ghost: how not to justify the arts. Westminster Studies in Education, 23(1), 71–

79. https://doi.org/10.1080/0140672000230107