7/28/2014

The Themes Of Kafkaesque Art

By Miranda Sweeney


Some writers strike a chord universally and their works have a lasting effect on humans and society. Franz Kafka wrote works that are still widely read today and his name is now used as an expressive adjective in language. A bizarre, surreal situation with a sense of unease and potential danger and yet with which people can identify is when this type of adjective is used. Kafkaesque art is art that fits this description.

The works of Kafka were marked by a disorientating, sometimes menacing complexity. He managed to combine great yearning together with a sense of impossibility and futility. Kafka himself did stark, graphic drawings infused with this same tension. Many of his drawings have ended up gracing the covers of his books.

Kafka uses dark imagery and absurdity in his works. Whether it is an artist who starves himself, a man transformed into a large insect, or a giant machine used as a device for capital punishment by the military, these images have provided the spark for many paintings and photographs. They reflect the anxiety of man in a dehumanized world and the alienation of individuals.

Metamorphosis is a work of Kafka that has a great influence. It deals with the possibility of transmogrifying from one form to another. When a human being is changed into a large insect, he faces various conflicts. We inevitably start to think about change and our own identity. This kind of thought stimulates artistic expression. We see paintings where humans are depicted as insects and others wear insects have human qualities.

The stories of Kafka are filled with symbolism. The symbolism often lies in the material objects placed in the narrative. In one of his stories, for example, the cage in which the hunger artist performs, is symbolic of his alienation from society. This is another reason why so many readers re-read his stories multiple times and have various interpretations. The same applies to artworks of this nature. They allow viewers to use their own imagination in interpreting them.

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.

There are so many different art forms that have been inspired by the concepts, imagery and symbolism of Kafka. Artists, musicians, dancers and photographers have all interpreted his vision and even expanded on his ideas. Even computer games owe some of their surreal qualities and presentments of danger to the influence of writers like Kafka.

Kafka has an uncanny ability to translate the personal circumstances of his life into universally compelling works. He teaches us to live with complexity, ambiguity, multiple meanings, and unclear answers. We have to actively interpret them. This is true of this type of art whatever its form. We have to be active participants in a world in which neither the artist nor the viewer has the complete wisdom or truth.




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