Morgan F., Post 2

Morgan Frost

The Bermuda Triangle by Philip Core (1982).

This artwork was painted by gay artist Philip Core. It presents three men climbing together into a boat after swimming. It appears that their activities are recreational, and if take the history into account, we might assume that these men are gay. But the important part is that even if they are gay, they are participating in activities that any person might enjoy. People of all ages and background can relate to swimming and being in a boat.

America is a country with people of all sexualities. However, we are still in a divided state. Homosexuals are persecuted against every day. Many people believe homosexuals are different people, even considering them lower in human value, and these kinds of thoughts are disharmonious and cause conflicts. In order to relieve these problems we must attempt to unify the state as one. Only together can the state be most glorious, and artwork provides a vessel for one means of unification. This painting in particular can move the nation forward by showing common ground between homosexuals and heterosexuals.

Using historical evidence, we can see that Plato would agree with the view that the portrayal of homosexuals is a unifying display rather than one that would incite quarrels. In his society, many people had homosexual relations, and to recognize this and portray it as acceptable would be a step forward for the nation. Something to look at about this, though, is that Plato mentions the problem in The Republic of people interpreting the same object with different views. Thus even a painting that may be intended to have a positive effect on its viewers can have a negative one. “And the same object appears straight when looked at out of the water, and crooked when in the water; and the concave becomes convex” (Book X).

This picture is a display of the fantasy creatures from the Magic group that markets products such as books and games for today’s wizard-interested citizens. This piece almost idolizes violence. The creatures are depicted as larger and more powerful purely by brute force and fire, and seem to be defeating the men.

The violence of this art is very common in America today. Many young children play games that promote violence. Violence is destructive to harmony between peoples. So with art like this being publicized to the nation, we are being led toward disharmony and conflict rather than unification and any hopes of glorification.

Plato, however, would disagree with this sentiment. He supported aggressive behavior, following the admiration Socrates had for militaristic Sparta. Plato would think that violence is a means to conquering, and thus giving power to his own state. To him, this would be part of the unification process as the men come together to fight the enemy, and the dominance in the picture would signify glory. As clarified in his writing in The Republic, Plato believes that an image can be received for its interpretation of truth rather than its direct representation of something that is untrue. “Let us assure our sweet friend and the sister arts of imitation that if she will only prove her title to exist in a well-ordered State we shall be delighted to receive her --we are very conscious of her charms; but we may not on that account betray the truth” (Book X). In the picture we can be led on by the image of monsters as an untruthful representation (eg mythical monsters), but to be received as representing power and dominance over another party.