retation" analyzes and highlights imitation of an imitation. Sontag discusses the difference between Plato and Aristotle. Plato believes that art is not real so therefore it is useless to us as individuals. Aristotle offers an opposite view and states that art arouses and purges the mind. I'd say I have to agree with Aristotle; that it's not about what or how we interpret art. It's about what you grab from it, and if you extract emotion, then it is useful and real. And therefore art is an important aspect of society.
Sontag makes a great point in her essay. She says, " What the overemphasis on the idea of content entails is the perennial, never consummated project of interpretation. And, conversely, it is the habit of approaching works of art in order to interpret them that sustains the fancy that there really is such a thing as the content of a work of art."
A piece of artwork has content and substance. And what that content is can only be perceived by the person reviewing the content. This drives us to "interpret." We interpret the elements of the artwork that drive emotions out of us. This is the "content" that we should see when looking at a piece of artwork. However, not all artwork will drive emotions out of us, but it will drive thoughts. Whether you like a piece of art or not, the thought of wondering "why" will pass through your mind. It's a simple human reaction derived from looking at something, especially when looking at artwork. A thought, an emotions, or reaction, something will be driven out of us. This is the "content" and the "substance" that art hands over to us.
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