In Pursuit of Art's Ineffable Resolution

Bear with me as I introduce you to a couple of art experiences reading novels that I had recently. It's my personal aesthetic take and how I work and view the arts and how I teach it. I don't want to discourage anyone from creating, but it's good for them to know that becoming an artist is a profound mental, emotional, and sensory quest. It will be the most demanding experience they've ever had.

Art is a very complex phenomenon, combining thought, emotion, and sensory awareness. It crafts a unique place that comes from and targets the whole being. Recently, I finished reading a fantasy novel featuring animal characters, penned by an acquaintance. While it exhibited unmistakable hallmarks of the hero's journey, the ending left me disheartened.

Fantasy Novel: The Hero's Psychotic Break

In the fantasy novel, the hero's journey is initially captivating. He overcomes challenges, learns valuable lessons, and ascends to become the benevolent king of the region. However, the narrative takes a shocking turn towards the end. Faced with the impending annihilation of conflicting kingdoms, the hero, unable to withstand the pressure, concocts a morally reprehensible plan. This involves infecting his wife with a disease, transmitted through intimacy, as part of a plan to infect and kill the opposing king. Both hero and wife, who had been lovable, succumb to despicable plans, throttling the audience's view of them. I was personally devastated by the end. I had come to love and empathize with the main characters, and seeing them turn to evil felt like being betrayed.

While I don't require happy endings to love art, I appreciate art that respects its own internal logic. Puccini's operas, my all-time favorites, often conclude in tragedy, showcasing the beauty and authenticity of characters under pressure. Tragic deaths evoke empathy, but the recent novels I encountered lacked the same justification for their grim conclusions.

About two years ago I read two thrillers and one short story from an acquaintance. And Gosh, he's a brilliant writer. In real life, he and his wife are public personas, who've lived on the edge of international intrigue.

A Thriller Novel

In the first thriller novel, the author weaves a captivating love affair reminiscent of his own life. The narrative is powerful in its engagement, making readers emotionally invested in the characters. However, the story takes a dark twist at the end when the protagonist is betrayed by the woman he loves. The betrayal, while serving as the conclusion, leaves the audience grappling with the abrupt and unresolved ending, questioning the thematic coherence of the narrative and the characters. The end didn't make sense.

Detective Deception

The short story revolves around a young detective working with his female superior to uncover corruption within a gang or mafia. The detective, acting as a tenacious investigator, is close to solving the crime, but he fails to grasp the hints dropped by his boss. The story concludes shockingly when the detective is point-blank shot in the face and killed by his female superior. The theme being good guys are the victims and women in power are evil. It left me pondering "Why couldn't the guy figure it out?"

Crazed Husband

In the third book, during one of their hiking trips in the tropics before embarking on the boat journey, the husband contracted a disease from a beetle that laid eggs in the human ear canal, and the larvae devoured the brain, eventually sending him into madness. Only the husband and wife on the boat during the weeks long journey the wife faces the difficult decision to shoot and kill her husband for her own survival. The narrative explores themes that relationships are doomed. I guarantee you that if my romantic partner was writing books with those themes, I would see the writing on the wall. Art is a self-portrait. There is no escaping that.

Private Messaging the Authors

I reached out to the authors, praising their storytelling brilliance but expressing my disappointment in their endings. The response from the animal book author was curt, citing that he was sorry that it wasn't my cup of tea. The thriller writer dismissively claimed that novels can't be tied up into a neat bow and it was just a story, ignoring the deep self-awareness of psychological and aesthetic significance. And never asking himself what was the meaning and point of writing the book.

Psychology of Art

Psychology is one of the three pillars of art; it is disappointing when artists lack the self-awareness to understand how their psyches, and by extension, the audience's function.

Art, in its various forms, holds a unique power to influence our emotions, provoke thought, and even offer a cathartic experience. Art is the technology of the soul. When a story unfolds, and the narrative remains unresolved, it can evoke a sense of disappointment like embarking on a therapeutic journey without achieving resolution. Understanding the psychology behind this emotional response reveals the intricate connection between storytelling and our psychological well-being.

As consumers of art, we naturally crave resolution. Our minds are wired to seek coherence and closure in narratives, mirroring our innate desire for understanding. The anticipation of a satisfying resolution is not just a preference; it is deeply rooted in our psychological need for completion. I mean, think of our To Do lists, or goals we plan, and our realistic expectation is to achieve them. Why would anyone aesthetically plan a project with failure as the goal? That always leaves me scratching my head.

Many view art as a form of uncurated self-expression that leads to catharsis. Like a therapeutic session, engaging with art allows individuals to navigate through emotions, confront challenges, and ultimately find solace and understanding. However, when the narrative fails to provide resolution, it parallels the frustration of a failed therapeutic process, leaving the audience feeling they have been lied to.

In essence, the psychology of art intertwines with our innate need for resolution, consistency, and meaningful exploration of the human experience. When these elements align, art becomes a powerful medium for connection, introspection, emotional catharsis, and evolution.

*****

My current project.

BTW, in the last two weeks I have painting, correcting, erasing, redoing, and repeating the whole thing over again on a painting. I know the feeling I want and like a mystery I am tracking down and correcting every element that blocks that connection. I laugh every time I go down a failed path, thinking: “Thank god I don’t have to go down that path again, let’s try out this other path!” Eventually I get on the right path even if it might take me days, weeks, or years.