Various Art
How is subtlety relevant in various forms of art?
What is subtlety in art (paintings, film, music, etc)? How is it communicated and/or achieved? Why is it believed to be so important and require so much skill? Why does it need to be communicated? What advantageous does it have over bluntness? ETC.
I’ve been thinking about the ‘art of subtlety’ and wanted to know what you all thought. Or maybe just link artists’ thoughts or essays that are relevant to this discussion and whatnot.
Thanks!
I can’t give a proper academic answer, but I can say that sometimes it is the hint of something, the suggestion, that has more sway and influence than the plain and direct statement.
Look at flirting. Look at women’s clothing. Think of the movie that you may have chuckled during or perhaps didn’t even give much serious thought to at the time…. yet you end up in bed staring at the ceiling that night, thinking about it.
I think that part of it is that we as human beings are fascinated by mystery and intrigue more than we are fascinated by bare bones facts and statements. Mystery novels and spy movies out-sell by at least an order of magnitude their comparable documentaries.
I think this sentiment is even echoed in religious and spiritual belief – for what is the existence of the supernatural (deities, gods, spirits, demons, angels, etc) but interpretation of the subtle events that happen around us? We can’t see them, we can only guess at their existence, or form opinions based on inconclusive personal experiences. Only the insane or manipulative claim to have personal communication with and derive authority from encounters with such beings.
We can’t see them, we can only guess from what we interpret as subtle hints in the world around us….. and we are endlessly fascinated by the prospect, as evidenced in the plethora of varied religious experiences, traditions, and beliefs.
It’s possible you can even tie elements of the “participation mystique” into it. If elements of artwork are not obvious to the casual observer, then by seeing those elements and understanding the art in a deeper and fuller fashion…. doesn’t that set you apart in some way from those casual observers? Doesn’t the active observation and interpretation of art inform you, change you, recreate you even?
Perhaps we can tie elements of symbolism here as well. It is one thing for me to say “God loves and protects the children”, it is another to represent that love and protection in the form of Saint Nicholas, the Catholic patron saint of children (and at various times, sailors and prisoners as well). Stories and legends that talk about Saint Nicholas (not Santa Claus, wikipedia Saint Nicholas if you aren’t familiar with his story) and how we protected and saved the unfortunate, and the miracles he worked in the name of God.
There is greater meaning that one can find in the subtle, since subtlety may be seen as something of a synonym for “vague”. This means that more parallels may be drawn from a single reference – and we humans loooove to make patterns and connections!
Anyways, that’s my take on it all, although perhaps a little briefer than I would have liked.
Saul
The Race ~ Various artist
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