Should Art challenge the viewer?

Recently, someone had an unexpected reaction to Syahidah’s art. A well to do Irish lady and her husband had the chance to see some of my wife’s work (which is now displayed at home). After they had viewed the works, we sought their reactions.

“Oh, they are nice.”, began the Irish woman, “but I wouldn’t have them in my house.”, she concluded, oddly.

“Why is that?”, I prodded, gently, muting my reaction and keeping my true thoughts from my face and tongue, lest they persuade her to disguise her own.

“Well, my children might not understand them – and I couldn’t risk that.” The prospect seemed to appall her.

Since her children are teenagers, to twenties, I thought this most peculiar.

I didn’t probe further, in general, but directed her attention towards one particular piece, which had two monumental faces facing each other.

“Oh no! I couldn’t bring that into the house.”, she looked somewhat disgusted. “They look like they are about to kiss. If my daughter (Ed: 15 years old), saw that, she would go “yewwh!””

I thought this response most enlightening about the psyche of my interlocutor. You see, the heads in the drawing were NOT about to kiss. They were near each other, yes – but, if anything they were just engaged in conversation. There was no kiss involved. In fact, both heads were men, too, which, in most circumstances, would have worked against her interpretation.

Further discussion with her, uncovered the obvious fact, that, for her, sexual interpretations were to be found in most of the drawings, even though, in reality, they were very mild, in that area. It seemed that it was her own perceptions, that were to blame, here. She was overly sensitive to the possibility of sexual interpretations of images, which, of course, suggested an undue preoccupation with or fear of such subject matter. Furthermore, her reactions were divided into two types: labeling some works, as sexual, when they weren’t really – or labeling works as “difficult” and therefore, “unsuitable for children” – because they “wouldn’t understand them”.

I found this all rather puzzling. To my perceptions they are all interesting works of art, many with a story, all with a point of view that reveals something about the subjects. None of them are “unsuitable for children” – indeed, our own children enjoy them, even Tiarnan, who is just five years old.

Is this Irishwoman right, do you think? Is it wrong to challenge children, with something beyond their immediate understanding?

My own view on the matter is that children should always be challenged. It is not right, I think, just to present them with whatever is readily understood without effort. When a child is challenged, the child has an opportunity to learn, to see something new. I believe that by being fearful of challenging her children with that which might puzzle them, this Irish lady is stifling the growth of her children: were they to see my wife’s works, part of their perceptions and understanding of the world and its possibilities would have a chance to expand.

I made no comment about the Irish woman’s outlook, at the time – but, to me, her parenting stance, on the issue, seemed remarkable and prompted me to reflect on it, subsequently, on several occasions. What do you think of her stance on not challenging her children with art beyond their immediate understanding? Is she right? Am I wrong?

Let me know your thoughts below please.

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Portrait of the writer, in the eyes of others.

Have you ever wondered how others see you? Well, the other day, I thought I would ask.

I was having a discussion with two Koreans and a Chinese mainlander. They have all known me for some time, so they have had enough to exposure to form sufficient impressions worth expressing. I set them a collective task: to describe my personality.

They responded with some enthusiasm. They each had something to say, something to note. Gradually, a coherent portrait emerged, one that I found myself agreeing with, even finding myself surprised by their astuteness, in some respects.

The first thing that was observed came from a Korean girl: "You look pure, when you smile."

Then the Chinese woman: "You have very expressive body language."

The second Korean girl: "You are jovial: always laughing."

Other observations soon followed: "Gentle and calm...but always moving"; "Polite with careful speech."; "Knowledgeable, shown by the use of less common words, in speech"; "Calm and thoughtful, you evoke speech in others, then listen, quietly."; "Cool in manner."; "You are mysterious - difficult to know. Your facial expressions cannot be read, easily." and, finally, "You are not too concerned about what other people think about you."

It was interesting to hear what they had come to understand of me. It was also interesting to learn what aspects of myself were visible to others and to realize what they could not see.

Their portrait is by no means complete. It is, though, a glimpse, of what I appear to be from the outside, as witnessed by people who actually know very little about my life story (I haven't told them anything much about myself: I rarely do). Perhaps it might give you, too, an idea of what I might be like to meet, at least, from an Oriental perspective.

I see, though, that most of my interior life is not visible to them. There is so much that they have not observed. I suppose that all of that would be hidden in the "mysterious" part of me that they could not see through. I think they are right: much of me cannot be seen, readily - it takes too much time and too much exposure to become known. Then, again, many people do not have eyes readily equipped to see such things, or recognize them for what they are.

The portrait, though, has value for it is how others see me. It is not how I see myself. I realize that they have a partial impression. They are not wrong, in their view...just incomplete. They are not to be faulted, for this, however, for the things they cannot see, are not so visible. Then, again, there is no need for all things to be visible. I am satisfied with the way they see me. As for that which they could not see: let that remain "mysterious"!

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)