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First and foremost, art creates the double system of the means of expression’s symbols and their ideal existences in search for reality. Whether visual arts initially were a kind of geometry, or whether they prefer regular shapes in general or in the free movement of life, the projection on a surface and drawing of a certain shape are spiritual creations. The simplest contour can suggest the access to the world of plastic representations and, moreover, to that of geometrical figures.

At the basis of art, we can find the very same intellectual act that we may find at the basis of the human language. This is also true if we consider the content of art. Art’s content is the world of ideas and feelings. Art has always expressed a vision which presupposes first of all the world’s way of thinking, the constitution of a mental universe.

In its way towards artistic expression, any feeling needs to become more abstract. That is because the powerful and blind domination of a feeling can actually prevent the artist from contemplating and expressing it. This tension would deprive the spirit of thinking and words. Delacroix says that what Hegel says about poetry could actually be said about art itself. Art does not only tend to liberate the spirit from the oppressing feelings, but also wants to set the spirit free from the tyranny of the feelings. By this, the spirit can open up towards self-expression. The spirit can thus turn what it felt into images and thoughts. Delacroix stresses the idea that there is a huge difference between feeling and expression. The completely pure, intense feeling of real-life experience becomes subject to the symbolic expression, to the visual, musical or verbal dimensions.

Renouvier used to say that the artist needs to reflect upon his own emotions in order to reproduce them to the outside audience or readers. And in order to re-create his own emotions, the artist needs to exteriorize himself in a way, to become his very own imitator. Delacroix comes to explain that when the artist becomes human and begins to feel, he is lost. Therefore, the artist needs to be able to detach himself from his very own feelings and emotions, to analyze and dissect them in order to be able to use them in a constructive way and thus create art. Read the rest of this entry »

While this subject wanders slightly askew of the main matter, it is very important that you understand the real differences between a novel, a comic and a graphic novel to exploit the full potential of knowing how to read graphic novels better.

Novels
The first question I’ll ask you is, ‘What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about novels?’ Your dictionary answer would be, a fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. While I agree with the given definition, what remains unexplained is the reader’s connection to the book. A true, good novel can instill in the hearts of readers, a sense of belonging and imagination so vivid and infallible, the very things that make a book simply impossible to put down. The books so unanimously regarded as the best novels in the world are the ones that the larger part of the world is taken to, intoxicated and left breathless.

Comics
When you now take a look at a simple comic book, you’ll notice immediately that there is a high level of emphasis on visual art and not text. For those too accustomed to the picture-less novels, you’d find switching over to comics a rather sizable dent on your imagination. You’d say the comics hardly leave anything to the imagination, and visualization is too precise to roam about by yourself. While it is true that one page of visual art can depict many pages of the written word (if you believe the old saying, each panel should be equal to a thousand words!), what remains unseen and therefore left to the reader is the picture between two frames. If two frames show different things, what the author leaves to you is to fill out the spaces in between.

Graphic Novels Read the rest of this entry »