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Wednesday, 30 July 2014

The Themes 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.

There was a tension in the works of Kafka that is found in much of the work of modern artists. He was able to combine a sense of yearning with futility and impossibility. He was a writer but he used to draw as well and many of his doodles expressed the same angst found in his writing. His stark drawings often grace the covers of his books.

The imagery used in his works is dark, whether this is a giant device used for torture and capital punishment by the military, a human turned into a huge insect or an artist starving himself to death. This dark imagery has also given artists on all sorts of art forms impetus. Their images reflect the alienation of man and his anxiety as he deals with a world that is dehumanized.

The notion of life transmuting from one form or identity to another is found in a work called Metamorphosis. A human finds himself changed into a large insect. This story makes us think deeply about our own identity and what we consider to be stable or fixed. Thinking like this helps artists to create innovative artworks. People are depicted as insects or as being machine-like. Insects are shown with human qualities. This creates an unease and a sense of uncertainty as well as of potential danger.

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.

Kafka was also known for his manipulation of language and use of ambiguity. This was often so pronounced that translators have difficulty translating his works. This use of ambiguity leads to readers searching for meaning. Paintings in this vein also need to be deciphered for hidden messages.

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.

One of the most important aspects of works like this, whatever form they come in, is that they force us to face the complexities and ambiguities of our world. This is a world where we often do not have answers and things are often not clear. Such works help us to live with the complexities of our modern existence. Works like this are available for purchase online.




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