mercredi 30 juillet 2014

The Nature Of Kafkaesque Art

By Miranda Sweeney


There are certain writers that are widely read and reread. Their works resound with us to the extent that their names are made into adjectives and used to describe concepts, events and art forms. Franz Kafka was a writer like this and Kafkaesque art reflects qualities found in his works such as alienation and situations that are surreal and yet affect us intimately.

His works often have an almost dangerous quality and disorientating complexity. Despite a sense of futility and impossibility, there is also a sense of yearning. Kafka used to create doodles that reflected the same tension as his writing. Many of these drawings have been used on his book covers.

His stories are dark and yet humanity manages to identify deeply with them. The strong and absurd images, such as a man becoming an enormous insect or an artist starving in a cage have inspired the imagery expressed by many artists today. The menace of an image like a giant machine used for capital punishment and its implications has also sparked other artistic expression like this.

In a world Kafka presents where everything is subject to change, we are forced to consider the fact that we are subject to change too. Artists today produce intriguing paintings of insects with human characteristics or humans as machines or animals. Individuals experience anxiety and a lack of control due to being subjected to a dehumanized world where there are few answers.

Symbolism is important in all art forms. Kafka used much symbolism in his works. In his work about an artist starving himself, he places him in a cage. The cage is symbolic of his alienation and isolation from the rest of humanity. The symbolism can be interpreted in different ways and in great works of art, the symbolism allows this too. The viewers have to use their own imaginations to interpret.

Ambiguity or double meanings are another way to introduce suspense and uncertainty. Kafka was brilliant at manipulating language to introduce ambiguity. Paintings of this nature have the same ambiguity and one can look at them time and time again to try and decipher hidden meanings.

The themes found in the works of Kafka have infiltrated into so many areas of our modern world. Photographers, artists, musicians and even game players have found inspiration in his works, whether directly or indirectly. The themes of struggle, despair, isolation, yearning and absurdity are all presented in different ways by these artists but the central concepts are the same.

The complexity of the works of Kafka invites us as readers to actively participate in interpreting them. His ambiguity, symbolism and the fact that he does not present answers is something we can relate to in a world that often does not have any answers for us. Whatever art form it takes, this type of expression forces us out of complacent viewing and makes us active participants in the search for meaning.




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