Expression and imitation is one of three concepts I selected to discuss its importance in the text and my rationale for why. Expression and imitation are two concepts that have dictated theories on aesthetics in the field of Western philosophy (Cavallaro 157). The artistic mythologies of expression and imitation are important in this text as we begin to understand the different perspectives that artists and writers have speculated on the ideas of expression and imitation, whether they believe or not that “…the expression posits that a work of art expresses the individual emotions of its creator. » (Cavallaro 157) or according to Plato “sees in imitation, or mimesis, the measure of the baseness of art rather than its greatness” (158). This brings me to my second concept: realism, realism is important in this text as we begin to analyze the different contexts and mythologies of realism influenced by the world around them. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Realism has been identified as a concept and method closely associated with imitation. Cavallaro recognizes realism and its continued praise as a vital growth throughout the history of art and aesthetics (158), but Western philosophers had a contrasting attitude towards it, including Plato. Plato was one of many who spoke openly about ideas of art and aesthetics. Plato's artistic form through dialogue and playwright aided his ideas on this subject. In The Republic, Plato discusses "...art is meant to imitate the forms of nature and since nature is already a second-order copy of the Pure Forms or Ideas, it is automatically relegated to the conditions of a shadow of shadow” (Cavallaro). 158) more precisely according to Cavallaro a “copy of a copy” (158). Aristotle had an opposing view on this subject, instead stating “…art does not imitate the particularities of nature but actually represents general and universal characteristics” (Cavallaro 158). The philosopher (Aristotle) ​​believed that “catharsis” (159) had the ability to arouse human emotions in those, especially, who have experienced unfortunate circumstances in life. In this way, society could see the real problems of the world around it and “[to] achieve a deeper understanding of the world” (Cavallaro 159). During the Renaissance, realism had more influence on “the political climate and ideological priorities” (Cavallaro 159). Cavallaro continues to characterize realism as a “material ideological dimension” (159), which complements the ideas of realism used over the centuries. The technical details of realism in paintings were used for the upper social classes and used as a display in the households and gardens of the accomplished to promote their worth and wealth. This brings me to my third chosen concept, imagination. It is crucial to understand the imagination in this text as we establish the various approaches in specific eras such as the ancient Greeks, Western culture, the late 17th and 18th centuries, and the Romantic period. The philosopher Aristotle had an optimistic view of the imagination. He believed that when used with effective control, it could develop an edge to “…help us grasp fundamental truth” (Cavallaro 160). The ancient Greeks viewed Imagination Phantasia “as suggesting that mental images are not mere illusions…a form of illumination” (Cavallaro 159). However, in TheWestern Culture and in the late 17th and 18th centuries they expressed an opposite opinion, they described fantasies as something that exists only in their imagination and their imagination only. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, they continued to characterize imagination as “superstition, ignorance, and prejudice” (Cavallaro 160). It was not until the Romantic era that imagination was classified as a beneficial method due to Kantian and German idealism. Kant explores aesthetic judgments through its three attributes, where he explains how individuals have a natural way of behaving towards beauty and how it is subjective yet universal. We can see, through the changing ideas of imagination, that artists and philosophers had enduring opinions and judgments about imagination and other aesthetics and how their ideas had an influential impact on art and the avant-garde movement. Throughout the chapter “Aesthetics” by Dani Cavallaro, I found the concepts of modernism to be one of the most difficult concepts to understand. Cavallaro begins to introduce modernism by stating the movements adopted by modernism: “Symbolism, Impressionism…Fauvism, Cubism, Post-Impressionism, Futurism, Constructivism, Imagism, and Vorticism” (Cavallaro 163). However, Cavallaro develops a few of these moves. I was able to gain a general understanding of Cubism and its purpose: “Cubist works aim to represent as many possible forms of an object in a single image” (Cavallaro 164). This, however, did not deepen my understanding of the important role each of these movements played in this era. Additionally, the ambitions of modernism were mentioned several times throughout the text, where they were used as a contrast to what post-modernism stood for: "Modernism nevertheless trusts in the ability of art to offer an epiphanic insight into reality and the human condition. Postmodernism, on the other hand, does not rely on the possibility of discovering deep truths” (Cavallaro 164). It was difficult for me to identify the cultural and social influences exerted on these movements. I struggled to understand the role of these influential movements in the period leading up to the First World War. My lack of understanding in this area meant that I was not able to differentiate the purpose of each movement or how these movements relate to each other. Post-modernism was my second concept that I had difficulty understanding. My inability to grasp the main idea of ​​post-modernism prevented me from describing the overall goal addressed by Cavallaro in the text. Due to my lack of understanding of modernism, it impacted my ability to understand post-modernism. It was a challenge for me to understand the various attitudes towards postmodernism since Cavallaro mentions Jean-François Lyotard and his reference to the “new presentation” as well as Fredric Jameson and his critique of postmodernism. “Fredric Jameson criticizes postmodernism by comparing the postmodern subject to a condemned schizophrenic patient. living in a perpetual present devoid of historical depth” (Cavallaro 165). In general, this affected my understanding of the overall judgment of postmodernism where Cavallaro considers the different notions related to postmodernism. “Some welcome postmodernism as a liberating phenomenon…the emphasis is on multicity, multiculturalism and difference as an imaginative rejection of traditional ideas of stability and freedom. uniformity” (Cavallaro 165). Cavallaro continues to discuss, towards the end of the text where she associates postmodernism with the concept expressed by Madan Sarup. My inability to understand.