Can you see plato with the iphone?
The Philosophers Stone, Plato’s Cave
An LEA exhibition
Platos cave allegory involved figures chained inside a cave unable to view the world. Percieving shadows cast on the walls of the cave from people moving past the mouth of the cave they accepted and defended their perception. In Aequitas Plato build the lone figure sits comfortably in his cave but he has no eyes to see and is trapped inside his cell phone while images of famous paintings flash on the screen in front of him. The modern cave dweller has no chains other than his devotion to the small screen and its enticements. We posit that this circumstance traps him as much if not more than the chains in the original allegory. He can’t seem to look away. The paintings represent the culture of mechanical reproduction which is a step further than the thrice removed position of art outlined in Platos Republic. The work of art has transformed from being an object of contemplation to one of distraction becoming one more link in the chain that binds us to a severely limited perception.
Aequitas has interpreted Platos cave allegory as a commentary about distraction. The figure in Aequitas version is trapped inside his mobile device while reproductions of famous paintings flash in front of his sightless form.
The Philosophers Stone was made possible by a generous land grant from Linden Endowment for the Arts and Pixels Sideways