Then, in our daily discussions about “image” as I mentioned earlier: “In heaven, images are formed; on earth, shapes are formed; human participation brings forth the complete image.” Why is the Tai Hexagram (Heaven and Earth in Harmony) structured as Earth above Heaven? Why is the Pi Hexagram (Heaven and Earth in Opposition) structured as Heaven above Earth? Superficially, heaven is above and earth is below. If we follow this imagery to depict it, what do we get? The Pi Hexagram, where heaven remains heaven and earth remains earth, with no connection between them. Thus, form and image remain separated.
It is through our participation that we grasp its essential meaning. By interchanging them—preventing heaven and earth from separating and instead bringing them into union—we arrive at the Tai Hexagram. What we strive for in life and in artistic creation is to find where they overlap, intersect, and superimpose, to discover the potential for added value and the manifestation of creativity. This is what sets us apart.
Therefore, many of the paintings we create—why is realism so important? Realism is not the same as representation, nor is it the same as imitation. Imitation takes the objective entity as the standard, while realism involves the subject imposing their own interpretation onto the object. Imitation and representation are also different. What is representation? It is the use of visual symbols to present the truth of the object itself. However, representation differs in that it involves bringing the object to life through my own medium. This is a distinct approach.
This is why Plato opposed painters and poets. What was the reason? In his view, the average painter merely imitates. For example, taking a bed as a standard, Plato believed that the bed embodying truth is the ideal form of the bed—the highest moral essence, so to speak. The bed crafted by a carpenter, based on a design, is already a step removed from this ideal, a descent from truth.
Now, consider a painter’s depiction of a bed: it is based on the carpenter’s bed, thus constituting a further descent. Therefore, Plato regarded painting as a world of shadows, twice removed from truth. This is why, in understanding this concept and the reasoning behind it, we see that Plato opposed imitation. In fact, it was through his opposition to imitation that he developed his theory of artistic mimesis.
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