Art as Technique

Svici

by Victor Shklovsky

Victor Shklovsky is perhaps best known for developing the concept of ostranenie or defamiliarization (also translated as "estrangement") in literature. He explained the concept in his 1917 essay Art as Technique (also translated as "Art as Device") which comprised the first chapter of his seminal Theory of Prose, first published in 1925. He argued for the need to turn something that has become over-familiar, like a cliché in the literary canon, into something revitalized:

The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things as they are perceived and not as they are known. The technique of art is to make objects 'unfamiliar', to make forms difficult, to increase the difficulty and length of perception because the process of perception is an aesthetic end in itself and must be prolonged. Art is a way of experiencing the artfulness of an object; the object is not important.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Literary Criticism, Theory, Essays, Literature, Criticism

12 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky (Russian: Виктор Борисович Шкловский) was a Soviet literary theorist, critic, writer, and pamphleteer.

Reviews

[Basilius · Rating 3 out of 5]

And art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony.

In his (arguably unfinished) piece, Art as Technique, Soviet writer Victor Shklovsky makes a leading case for “Defamiliarization” in art. A key concept of Russian Formalism in the 1920s, Shklovsky’s claim that art “makes [the world] strange” (ostranenie) is now almost universally accepted among theorists. The argument cleverly begins by quoting the (still accepted) maxim that poetry is economy of imagery, allowing the reader to consume big feelings or ideas in a small amount of space. Fair enough. But Shklovsky then notes how habitual thinking (or non-thinking), epitomized in algebraic symbolism, dulls our sensory experience. It allows us to glide unquestioningly over axioms. So we can’t claim the imagery in art is mere representation, as they would be habitual and equivalent to not experiencing them at all. And seeing as how art doesn’t deaden us—indeed the opposite—something must be wrong with our maxim.

Instead the piece claims art defamiliarizes: the images it presents don’t encapsulate worn-out symbols, but sheds light on them. They offer new, unique ways of looking at things. Which, by definition, isn’t economic at all. Quite the opposite: art uses “rough” language, which prolongs attention and stalls understanding. Our joy comes from this scenic ride to familiar places, rather than the boring highway that normal communication entails. In the Formalist vein, the miracle here is in the ride, not the destination. Shklovsky then demonstrates his point with the works of Tolstoy and popular erotica, where the former describes events as if he saw them for the first time, and the latter utilizes euphemism and figurative language to heighten our expectation of pleasure. This, to me, is a wonderful argument, and I can’t find any reason to disagree. I’ll close with a line from Nabokov’s Pale Fire, which represents Shklovsky nicely:

I do not consider myself a true artist, save in one matter: I can do what only a true artist can do--pounce upon the forgotten butterfly of a revelation, wean myself abruptly from the habit of things…

[Ramanqu]

Life necessitate the habitual perception of its objects. Our minds labels reality into a shallow plate of meanings and indications. Art's aim to break the surrounding veneer and defamiliarizes objects through language, resulting in deeper perception of reality and satisfaction due to the slowness of the process.

[fireflies_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

lectura para la u.

aunque el ensayo sea corto me gusta el enfoque de la singularización, y dejar de lado esa percepción automatizada que tenemos tan instaurada.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es un libro. Es un ensayo corto en el cual se teoriza respecto al arte literario/poético, concretamente desde la perspectiva del Formalismo Ruso ligado al círculo literario de Moscú, del cual forma parte el autor.

Recuerdo haber leído este texto en la universidad, en el primer año de la carrera, sin embargo, no recordaba de manera clara su contenido.

Creo que resuelve muchas dudas que tenia latentes respecto a la perspectiva formalista en relación con el enfoque con el que abordan la literatura.

En el marco del estudio de la teoría literaria contemporánea considero que es imprescindible de leer si deseamos tener una noción general del avance teórico asociado a los textos literarios. Es interesante, es historia.

De lo dicho en el texto, rescato el planteamiento que especifica la finalidad del arte, donde el autor señala:

“Para dar sensación de vida, para sentir los objetos, para percibir que la piedra es piedra, existe eso que se llama arte”

Pero a pesar de lo hermosa que puede parecer la postura explicitada - con la que puedo estar de acuerdo -, debo decir que me perturba el carácter elitista del autor al propugnar el oscurecimiento de la letras: hacer la literatura difícil y tortuosa - literal, esas son sus palabras-. ¿Quiénes pueden sentir los objetos a través de la literatura, si ella debe presentar únicamente un lenguaje difícil y tortuoso? Solo quienes tienen acceso a condiciones materiales que, de una forma u otra, lo permiten. En otras palabras, la literatura no sería para todxs.

Hay un fragmento de Trotsky en Literatura y Revolución donde, según la profesora, habla concretamente de eso a modo de crítica hacia la escuela formalista. Espero leerlo.

[cant bug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this essay to understand the process of 'defamiliarisation', a technique Gogol used frequently in his short stories, according to Wikipedia.

Here is the treasure, the core fruit, that can be taken from Shklovsky's essay:

art exists that one may recover
the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the
stone stony. The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things
as they are perceived and not as they are known. The technique of
art is to make objects "unfamiliar," to make forms difficult, to
increase the difficulty and length of perception because the process
of perception is an aesthetic end in itself and must be prolonged.
Art is a way of experiencing the artfulness of an object: the object
is not important...

In other words, defamiliarisation allows us to view ideas, experiences, things, in a new light. In a way that has not been concieved before.
Crucuially, this idea/object/thing is not important in of itself, what is important is how the object is experienced.

Another key aspect he mentions is slowing down the actual process of the perception of this particular thing or idea. It should gradually be realised upon the reader for a greater artistic effect. As opposed to the immediate recognition of an object, idea, etc.

After we see an object several times, we begin to recognize it. The
object is in front of us and we know about it, but we do not see
it[4] -hence we cannot say anything, significant about it. Art
removes objects from the automatism of perception

Shklovsky also argues that poetic speech also uses this technique of defamiliarsation.

A work is created "artistically" so that
its perception is impeded and the greatest possible effect is
produced through the slowness of the perception. As a result of this
lingering, the object is perceived not in its extension in space, but,
so to speak, in its continuity. Thus "poetic language" gives
satisfaction.

Overall, the essay has given a fresh view on what makes something artistic. What techniques are actually being employed to create something considered to be 'art'.

[Yhamil Adames]

Sería una catástrofe que nuestra mente no se habituara a las cosas. Estaríamos prestándole atención a todo, desgastando nuestro cerebro al utilizar tantos recursos cognitivos. No es algo deseable, sano ni funcional. La otra cara de la moneda es que esto puede jugar en nuestra contra al habituarnos a cosas dañinas, como la injusticia, o automatizar las cosas que antes nos generaban placer, como la degustación de una buena comida. A esto Shklovsky le llama "algebrización", por la tendencia natural de esta rama matemática a relegar todas las palabras a meras letras.

Para luchar contra este costumbrismo nocivo existe el arte. Para Shklovsky, es arte aquello que causa disrupción en el individuo despertándolo de esta algebrización, ese es su valor. Para esto, el artista ha de configurar su obra para ser difícil, extraña o lenta, una de las tres o todas a la vez con tal de forzar la percepción atenta de quien la contempla. El ejemplo que ofrece el ruso es el Tólstoi y su técnica de desfamiliarización donde presenta lo común de tal forma que no lo parezca:

» Por ejemplo, en "Vergüenza", Tolstói desfamiliariza la idea del azotamiento de la siguiente manera: "desnudar a las personas que han infringido la ley, arrojarlas al suelo y golpearles las nalgas con varas", y unas líneas después añade: "azotar las nalgas desnudas".

Así, el efecto estético del arte no se encuentra en el objeto —este es solo una posibilidad estética— ni en los ojos del que mira —este es solo una sensibilidad potencial—, la belleza surge cuando ambos se funden en uno mismo generando alguna de las características anteriormente mencionadas.

[Mark F]

"Habitualization devours one's work, clothes, furniture, one's wife, and the fear of war."

"The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things as they are perceived and not as they are known. The technique of art is to make things 'unfamiliar,' to make forms difficult, to increase the difficulty and length of perception because the process of perception is an aesthetic end in itself and must be prolonged."

"In light of these developments we can define poetry as attenuated, tortuous speech. Poetic speech is formed speech. Prose is ordinary speech -- economical, easy, proper..."

"roughened form and retardation as the general law of art."

[robin ♤]

one of the more interesting russian formalist manifestos, which are few and far between. difficulty is not an obstacle to understanding but the very condition of aesthetic experience. art is not meant to soothe or streamline. if you can't agree with him, at least his name is fun to say: shklovsky shklovsky shklovsky!

[David Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent essay that centers on the technique of defamiliarization, how artists make everyday things feel new again. Shklovsky provides several examples from the work of Tolstoy and I believe he proves his point of contention quite well.

[libremilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things as they are perceived, and not as they are known."

Shklovsky brings forward a lucid, sensible, and cohesive argument. Thankful to be doing a presentation on this one.

[Barbora · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so life is reckoned as nothing. Habitualization devours work, clothes, furniture, one's wife, and the fear of war. Art exists so that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the stone stony.

[૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡]

“Images are given to poets; the ability to remember them is far more important than the ability to create them.”

[Juanpe López · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Así la vida desaparece, transformándose en nada».

[Ellie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Holly Paton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very interesting. Learned a lot

[Helena Vitale · Rating 2 out of 5]

rusia, principios s.xx, revolución e historias sobre caballos q hablan…

[carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for class —
there isn’t really much to say about this one. it’s like a paragraph in length and is mostly just a statement. it was a cool statement, but not something that i’m really able to “review.”

[Hilda LZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sus argumentos me parecieron cautivantes, como su explicación del carácter estético del objeto, el derecho del objeto de vincularlo a la poesía y nuestra manera de percibir las imágenes estéticas en la poesía que son mucho más recordadas que utilizadas para pensar. Lo que más me gustó del artículo fue su visión de la finalidad del arte de darle un sentido al objeto eliminando cualquier conocimiento sobre este para percibirlo como si fuera la primera vez que lo ves, lo cual se ejemplifica con total entendimiento con la definición común de la poesía como algo difícil de escribir y comprender, ya que suele enseñarse más la rima y sus estrictas métricas sin que se hable ni se enseñe el verso libre. Se enfocan más en el lado formal que en el espontáneo que desde mi percepción me parece me parece inaudito, ya que lo que provoca es matar el sentido del arte al venderlo de manera correctiva ignorando casi por completo lo liberador y salvaje que es para el artista que quiere revelar sentimientos y verdades.

[Josita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odio a los filósofos <3

[BaSila Husnain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read before but now am able to appreciate it as a work of Art in itself. Inductive, Concise and ofcourse Unique. De-familiarization isn't a new concept but its put in a new way in this text thus a pioneer text of formalism and structuralism

[Ethan Botterill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very solid essay that raises some very interesting considerations. Leaves you with a couple of questions, but these can often be dispelled on a second reading - certainly a foundational piece of criticism.

[EvaLovesYA · Rating 3 out of 5]

En rigtig god kilde med dybdegående stof og en grundig gennemgang.
Man skal dog holde tungen lige i munden.
- Brugt på universitetet.

[Noemi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un texto bastante complejo de entender pero en cuando le tomas sentido es muy agradable verlo plasmado en los libros.