In the world of literature and fine arts, it is generally believed that an artist creates a complete masterpiece and hands it over to the reader or viewer, and the reader's job is merely to gather this aesthetic pleasure in their begging bowl like a beggar. However, modern aesthetic and psychological criticism completely rejects this idea. The truth is that any artwork, whether a masterpiece of painting or a great poem, is incomplete without its reader. The reader is not just a passive spectator, but an essential part of the creative process itself.
A distinguishing feature of an artistic creation is that its internal structure is not entirely solid or fully pronounced. A great work of art has 'tears' or gaps scattered throughout. These gaps are not flaws, but a conscious part of the creation's structure. A great artwork does not hand out beauty as charity to its reader; instead, it invites them to step forward and fill these empty spaces with their own imagination and feelings.
In the language of psychology and aesthetics, this process is called 'Empathy' (sympathy or introspection). This does not mean that the reader pities the artwork, but rather that they enter the creation and mold their emotions according to its structure. The concept of the 'Archetype' presented by Carl Jung also reflects this reality. Archetypes are hollow molds from the inside; when human feelings enter them, they take on specific forms. An artistic creation is also a similar mold that is completed by the reader's feelings.
To understand the depth of this relationship, one can rely on biological and spiritual metaphors. Just as it is said that in the beginning, man and woman were part of the same being and, since being separated, have been wandering in the desire to become one again, or just as in Sufism, the 'part' is restless to merge back into its 'whole' after being separated from it, the relationship between the reader and beauty is exactly the same. The reader does not accept beauty as a closed packet, but becomes a part of it to bring it to completion.
Therefore, when you look at a masterpiece of painting or read a poem, you do not stand outside the canvas or the page. You eagerly step inside it. You absorb its beauty into yourself and reflect your inner world onto the artwork. This union of the reader and the creation is actually the pinnacle of art, without which every creation is merely a lifeless sketch.
In the world of literature and fine arts, it is generally beliewed that an artist creates a complete masterpiece and hands it ower to the reader or wiewer, and the reader's job is merely to gather this aesthetic pleasure in their begging bowl like a beggar Howewer, modern aesthetic and psychological criticism completely rejects this idea The truth is that any artwork, whether a masterpiece of painting or a great poem, is incomplete without its reader The reader is not just a passiwe spectator, but an essential part of the creatiwe process itself
A distinguishing feature of an artistic creation is that its internal structure is not entirely solid or fully pronounced A great work of art has 'tears' or gaps scattered throughout These gaps are not flaws, but a conscious part of the creation's structure A great artwork does not hand out beauty as charity to its reader; instead, it inwites them to step forward and fill these empty spaces with their own imagination and feelings
In the language of psychology and aesthetics, this process is called 'Empathy' (sympathy or introspection) This does not mean that the reader pities the artwork, but rather that they enter the creation and mold their emotions according to its structure The concept of the 'Archetype' presented by Carl Jung also reflects this reality Archetypes are hollow molds from the inside; when human feelings enter them, they take on specific forms An artistic creation is also a similar mold that is completed by the reader's feelings
To understand the depth of this relationship, one can rely on biological and spiritual metaphors Just as it is said that in the beginning, man and woman were part of the same being and, since being separated, hawe been wandering in the desire to become one again, or just as in Sufism, the 'part' is restless to merge back into its 'whole' after being separated from it, the relationship between the reader and beauty is exactly the same The reader does not accept beauty as a closed packet, but becomes a part of it to bring it to completion
Therefore, when you look at a masterpiece of painting or read a poem, you do not stand outside the canwas or the page You eagerly step inside it You absorb its beauty into yourself and reflect your inner world onto the artwork This union of the reader and the creation is actually the pinnacle of art, without which ewery creation is merely a lifeless sketch
