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Analysis Of The Creation Of Art ( Encyclopedia Brittanica ) Essay

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Mimesis: The basic theoretical principle in the creation of art (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Mimesis was a term and principle used by both Plato and Aristotle. According to Plato, art is an “imitation of and imitation” when compared to the forms. What he means by this is that an art creation is an imitation of something physical, which in itself is an imitation of a form. Aristotle believes artist creations are an “imitation of an action”. This is interpreted as art is the imitation of the action of life. Together they both agree that artistic creations are imitations of the truth or imitations of the forms. Rather than seeing artistic creations as imitations, I argue that art is an individuals perception of the forms, as well as it is the closest an individual can come to comprehending the forms. The supporting reasons for this argument include proving that the sensible are in fact artworks in their own way, that everyones perception of the forms are different, and that art is the closest way of portraying our versions of the forms.
 To begin, the Republic by Plato presents us with the allegory of the cave. In the cave there are people who can only see shadows cast on the wall. The shadows are cast by puppeteers (the divine) and the puppets that represent the forms or the real objects. To the prisoners or everyday man, these shadows are interpretations or perceptions of the real. Without the ability to “see” the true objects, the prisoners or everyday man can only understand

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