why?
How does one explain?
Yesterday we were reading about rasa in Indian music. It became quite complex, this whole issue of how and why we feel about artistic expression.
First you have the artist's primary expression. This is split into two: one is the obvious, stated expression, which is what the artist does - the technical details and the intended mood. The second is the suggested expression, which is what is implied behind or above the obvious - a feeling that is not depicted anywhere, but transmits out. This is especially noticeable in poetry, but applies to all artistic works.
When the stated expression is more potent than the suggested, the work is considered of a poorer nature, and when the suggested is greater than the stated, it is considered high quality. This is why some music which I don't like so much, is technically complex but leaves little 'after-glow' or carries no implied message of feeling. I also feel this is what happened to American films, where the technical aspect is so extraordinary and dramatic, it carries you along while watching but when you walk out, it is over - there is little room left for the internal processes to turn on, as everything was brought to the front in an over-obvious way. Nothing is left for the imagination.
I gather all this is called bhava in Indian theory. It forms the aspect of what the artist delivers or intends to deliver.
The second part is the audience response. What feelings and moods the recipient gets from the artistic expression. This is usually different but similar. So for example, a love scene, expressing romantic love, may engender erotic love in the audience, although no actual sexuality is present in the expression.
But sometimes it could be quite different. An older person hearing some children singing nursery rhymes, which is eliciting joy in the children, could elicit sadness and longing in the older person.
This is generally called rasa in the Indian theory, but actually, I think rasa is more closely tied to a spiritual response - when the artist successfully attracts the divine presence intended by the expression, and the listener is then 'transported' to a supra-mundane state, which could be of a number of moods. I don't think rasa is associated with mundane emotions, but that could be because traditionally all Indian art was of a spiritual nature - secular art didn't appear in India till only recently.
Apparently, due to the influence of Islamic poetic sentiment, North Indian classical music moved more into a technical appreciation and away from focus on rasa, but that may be only one person's view - not sure.
So when I view that picture above, it's not anything specifically in the painting that I can identify as to why I like it - it is the suggestive feeling which creates something of a pure and simple mood in me. Personally, I think it's impossible to classify feelings with words - emotions are easier to speak of, but feelings are fine and nebulous.
