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Art Reflection Paper

Decent Essays

In my previous reflection, I elaborated on the concept of daydreams and how the subconscious mind feeds into our conscious ambitions. Art is meant to be an expression of emotions rather than the intellect. Therefore, art should be autonomous from restriction since the subconscious mind is also autonomous from the strain of restrictions. However, certain philosophers believed that specific criteria should be involved in the process of creating and viewing art. While I agree with Plato’s theory that responses to beauty are expressed through emotions rather than intellectuality, I disagree with his stance on the role of the artist within society and the negative influences on those who indulge in the experience of aesthetical pleasure. While Schopenhauer also contributed agreeable statements about art, his primary theories are distasteful and pessimistic. He views art from a gloomy point of view and claims that life itself is a “pointless game”. I believe that the expression and indulgence of art promotes a positive and therapeutic reaction within the soul which provides spiritual nourishment and encouragement. If we approach art without openness, we are bound to agree with the controversial opinions of Plato and Schopenhauer. While Plato offers an interesting perspective on art, I disagree with his paranoid perspective on the influence of art within society. He believes that “art is dangerous, for its appeal to the irrational distracts us from the

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