does art imitate life? or does life imitate art? why?

Both. Back in the 1970s, when Rob Lowe was a teenager, the three major networks each made-for-TV a movie about the subject to try to show teens why there is hope and why they should not commit suicide. Lowe's was the third and last movie to be aired--because it was discovered that each time one of the movies were shown, teen suicide ROSE for a couple of days. Art had the reverse effect that was intended.

This is why I honestly believe that much of the violence on TV and movies and in gaming contributes to the growing violence in our world; people don't learn that the violence is bad, even when the "bad guy" gets caught or killed. Instead, they learn that violence gets attention, and that is what they seek. (Or they are "relativists" and decide that even though they will be considered bad or evil people, getting the attention is all that counts.)

If it was not what they seek, then the majority of all suicides would end in real suicide, not just in the attempt.

Art does not imitate anything.

Art is merely expression.

Likewise, Life does not imitate anything.

Life is animated existence.

The statement "art imitates life" was written from the context of performance arts. It is not a philosophical discussion. You are taking it out of context and trying to make it more than it is.

Does life imitate art? I'm sure it does in the sense that the way people handle situations is partly controlled by how they have seen those situations portrayed. They end up using stock phrases from T.V., cinema and songs in order to express themselves, everything from 'leave him babe, he's not worth it' to 'he's a paedophile. He got wot was coming to 'im.'

We see people on here asking why they don't feel as most people feel about something - particularly death. But they are really asking why don't they feel as people are portrayed as feeling in the media. So there is this huge crossover between the two and it is both ways. If art did not imitate life it would be meaningless. It can only come from life.

Art imitates life, because without life there is no painter to paint the canvas.

both are relative and reflective