Expression and imitation are one of three concepts I have selected to discuss its importance in the text and my justification for why. Expression and Imitation are two concepts that have dictated theories on Aesthetics within Western Philosophy (Cavallaro 157). Artistic mythologies of expression and imitation are important in this text as we begin to understand the different perspectives that artists and writers speculated on the ideas of expression and imitation, if they believed that "...expression postulates that a work of art expresses the individual emotions of its creator" ” (Cavallaro 157) or according to Plato “sees imitation, or mimesis, as a 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 unpack the different contexts and mythologies of realism influenced by the world around them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an 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 vis-à-vis they had a conflicting attitude to this, including Plato. Plato was one of many who spoke openly about the idea of ​​art and aesthetics. Plato's artistic form through dialogue and playwright helped his ideas on this topic. In the Republic Plato discusses “…it is said that art imitates the forms of nature and since nature is already a poor copy of the pure Forms or Ideas, it is automatically relegated to the conditions of shadow of shadow” (Cavallaro 158) more precisely according to Cavallaro a “copy of a copy” (158). Aristotle had an opposite opinion on this, however Aristotle states “…art does not imitate the details of nature but rather represents general and universal characteristics” (Cavallaro 158). The philosopher (Aristotle) ​​believed that “catharsis” (159) had the ability to promote human emotions to those, in particular, who found themselves in 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). In the Renaissance period, realism had a greater 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 throughout the centuries. The details of the realism technique in paintings were used for the higher social classes and used as presentation in the families and gardens of experts to promote their value 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 different 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 and was confident that when using the Imagination with effective control one can develop an advantage to “…help us grasp the fundamental truth” (Cavallaro 160). The ancient Greeks considered Fantasy Imagination “to suggest that mental images are not just illusions… a form of enlightenment” (Cavallaro 159). Yet in The Western Culture and in the late 17th and 18th centuries they expressed an opposite opinion, they described ghosts as something that exists only in their imagination and in their imagination alone. During the end of the 17th century18th century imagination continues to be labeled as “Superstition, ignorance and prejudice” (Cavallaro 160). It was only in the Romantic period that imagination was classified as a beneficial method due to Kant and German idealism. Kant explores aesthetic judgments through his three attributes, where he explains how individuals have a natural way of behaving towards beauty and how this is subjective but universal. We are able to see, through the changing ideas of imagination, that artists and philosophers had tenacious 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 one of the most difficult concepts to understand. Cavallaro begins to introduce Modernism by stating the movements embraced by Modernism “Symbolism, Impressionism…Fauvism, Cubism, Post-Impressionism, Futurism, Constructivism, Imagism, and Vorticism” (Cavallaro 163). However, Cavallaro delves into some of these movements and I was able to gain a general understanding of Cubism and its purpose. “Cubist works aim to represent as many forms of an object as possible within an image” (Cavallaro 164). This, however, did not deepen my understanding of how each of these movements played a significant role over time. Furthermore, the ambitions of modernism were repeatedly mentioned throughout the text where they were used in contrast to what postmodernism represented. “Modernism, however, trusts in art's ability to offer epiphanic insights into reality and the human condition. Postmodernism, on the contrary, does not rely on the possibility of bringing profound truths to light” (Cavallaro 164). It was difficult for me to identify the cultural and social influences they had on these movements. I had difficulty understanding the role these influential movements had in the lead-up to the First World War. My lack of understanding in this area meant that I was unable to differentiate the purpose of each movement or how these movements were associated with each other. Postmodernism was my second concept that I found difficult to understand. My inability to grasp the main idea of ​​Postmodernism meant that I was unable to describe the overall goal Cavallaro addressed in the text. Due to my lack of understanding of modernism, this affected my ability to understand postmodernism. It was challenging for me to understand the different attitudes towards postmodernism as Cavallaro mentions Jean-Francois Lyotard and his reference to the “new presentation” and also Fredric Jameson and his criticism of postmodernism “Fredric Jameson criticizes postmodernism by comparing the postmodern subject to a schizophrenic patient condemned to live in a perpetual present devoid of historical depth” (Cavallaro 165). Overall, this has affected my understanding of the overall judgment on Postmodernism in which Cavallaro considers the different notions related to Postmodernism “Some welcome Postmodernism as a liberating phenomenon…emphasis on multicity, pluriculturalism and difference as an imaginative repudiation of traditional ideas of stability and uniformity” (Cavallaro 165). Cavallaro continues to discuss, towards the end of the text where he associates postmodernism with the concept expressed by Madan Sarup. My inability to understand led me to be unable to make connections between postmodernism and this concept. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay throughout Dani's "Aesthetics" chapter.