Amy I

Amy Iarrobino
Post 2

The Iwo Jima memorial serves to commemorate the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima in which 30,000 people lost their lives. It serves as a unifying force, bringing the nation forward by promoting the ideologies of camaraderie and bravery. In fact, the sculpture of the soldiers planting the flag was cast in bronze through donations from the American people. The ability of the statue to draw so much support is a clear indicator of its unifying effect and promotion of U.S. patriotism. Plato would approve of such displays as promoting the nation as he would like to believe that art would have “noble States… appear at her best and truest.” (Book X) In this display, the State indeed appears in a positive light.

A museum in Tampa, Fl featured an exhibit called “Bodies” in which dead bodies were used as artistic medium after being preserved, dissected and posed for the viewing public. Included in the exhibit was a room featuring fetuses at each stage of development. The exhibit caused controversy and disharmony in the community due to its questionable use of the human body. More specifically, the fetus aspect of the exhibit brought attention to the national issue of abortion. In order for such a display to be made, the zygotes and fetuses had to be aborted. Thus, pro-life advocates strongly objected to its display in the museum. However, pro-choice advocates were also fearful of it as those who saw the exhibit often left with anti-abortion feelings. Therefore, the display was kept in a closed-off area with black curtains partitioning it from the rest of the museum. This example proves Plato’s point that interpretation of art as good or bad is “relative to the use for which nature or the artist has intended them.” (Book X) However, the artist is not aware of “what makes a thing good or bad.” (Book X) The artist caused conflicting feelings on both sides of the abortion issue although his purpose was geared towards scientific awareness. The artwork had different effects on viewers depending on the viewer’s opinion on abortion and scientific interest. Due to the many interpretations of the artwork Plato would consider this example as harmful to solidarity.