Constraint in Art
Constraints are necessary and unavoidable when producing art. In this post, I will look at constraints and limitations placed on different types of art, and how, when used proficiently, those constraints can often lead to exceptional works.
Cinematic Constraints
One Southern California summer, I was assisting with an outdoor film shoot in ninety-something degree weather. They were shooting with iPhones, inside a car, under the blazing sun, and no shade. While there is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with using an iPhone to shoot a film, it does create some constraints and limitations for the cinematographer and director. In this case, we dealt with overheating phones and dying batteries, having to pause periodically after setting up a shot to allow the phones time to cool off and charge. While this is a somewhat normal occurrence for any camera set up, this problem seemed especially exacerbated by the particular cameras and conditions.
Now, my first contention is that using an iPhone for a film project is in and of itself, a constraint chosen by the filmmaker. There are many reasons why a filmmaker may choose to use an iPhone for their shoot. For some, it is a cost-effective solution to a cinematic quandary. Others see it as a convenience, to take their phone and shoot whenever they please. Sometimes, like in the aforementioned shoot, the need for a smaller camera justifies the limitations of using a camera with base functionality; This constraint was compelled by the need for something portable and able to fit in the enclosure. Often, the use of an unconventional camera or lens can also be attributed to that particular filmmaker’s quirks as an artist. The use of such equipment is seen as a challenge to create something that breaks away from the normal. This, as I’ll discuss in depth later, is an example of a self-imposed limitation meant to push the boundaries of what it means to produce art.
Constraints in Visual Art and Music
Art has evolved many times over since the dawn of our humanity. Sketching gave way to painting, painting gave way to photography, and photography gave way to the silver screen. Music has advanced beyond stringed instruments, horns, and percussion, to the point where synthetic symphonies of eccentric noises reveal scores of masterful composition. In today’s world, art is an all-encompassing term that can include everything from a pile of uniquely arranged trash to Instagram photographs with hashtag commentary. Yet, while many artists are pushing the envelope in terms of what is considered artistically appealing, there is still a sense of limitation that lingers behind every creation.
Good music, for instance, requires structure, rhythm, and an amalgamation of instruments to create something that would be pleasing to the ear. Certain chords should be played in certain progressions, notes in particular scales, beats per measure for each specific time signature. Electronic Dance Music (EDM), with its eclectic blasts of digitized noise and sampled distortions, is an example of auditory pandemonium that resonates in such a way as to construct a pleasure in others, but it still follows established rules of music. Without these characterized limitations of music, a cacophony of noise is sure to develop. Of course, there’s much to be said about the necessity of talent in crafting any work of art, but even a “simple” tune can still be catchy to the ear as long as the basic theories of music are followed. How musicians work around the constraints and limitations of what is considered “good music” is what separates them apart, as is the case with every other facet of art.
Painting can also be an exercise of limitations and restraint. The painter is limited by their tools, their color palette, the size of their canvas, and the amount of time they can devote to a piece of work before going mad. Oftentimes we exemplify great painters for how they overcame the constraints inherent to the medium that they work with. Whether it be mixing irregular ingredients to fashion new colors, experimenting with brush sizes and types, or the variations of technique, all of these choices are meant to overcome a constraint and produce a work of art that is significant to the artist, and, hopefully, someone else in the world.
Yet, we encounter particular styles of painting that are magnificent because of the artist’s self-imposed limitations and constraint. The painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (pictured above), is probably the most prolific examples of the expert use of pointillism, with detailed characters and landscapes displayed in vibrant colorful dots. However, the use of pointillism to create this illustration was a limitation imposed by Georges Seurat and the world of art at the time. Pointillism can be breathtaking, but it is ultimately a superfluous and time consuming method of painting for what could have otherwise been just as stunning with more traditional strokes. However, it is the limitation inherent in pointillism, that you must only paint the dots, that helps bolster the art in ways that the orthodox could not.
Constraints in Writing
If you’ve reached this part, you have probably wondered why someone would impose a constraint upon themselves when artistic expression is a practice of unlimited freedom. To this, I will refer to writing, which is probably one of the most constrained yet limitless forms of art available to our species. Words can affix themselves to different parts of a sentence and change the intent of a message entirely. “I only love you” has different connotations than “I love only you,” and all that changed was the position of a single word. This is an intrinsic function of the English language that formulates how we interpret meaning. We have structure for how to describe objects, such as: “a cold, wet, gray rock.” Were you to rearrange these words, the sentence would not flow as well, and you start to lose the idea that you are trying to convey, for example: “A wet, gray, cold rock.” This order of adjectives is implicit in how we shape sentences to affect an emotion or idea in others.
The constraints of writing are at their most explicit when it comes to writing poetry. Poets are generally given a wide berth for trial and error in regards to what is poetic, and it is often used to great effect. However, even the most free-form of poetry still follows some constraint of the authors imagination, whether it be meter, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, or any other combination of literary devices. Poets pour over the meanings of words, pushing loosely against what is defined, but they are still hindered by the constraints that they have imposed on themselves. Almost every poet, known or unknown, gets at least some satisfaction from communicating a coherent thought in a way that fits their notion of what a poem should be. By imposing a limitation, and building something around it, they have succeeded in surmounting an obstacle. It is this constant challenge and attainment that keeps us writing and helps us grow as artists.
Conclusion
To bring this back around to the film shoot, the constraints that we place on the creation of art can facilitate brilliance. With the iPhone, we had many problems and shortcomings, but ultimately, the footage was cinematic and impressive. It wasn’t everything the filmmakers wanted, but it was more than likely enough to piece together a cohesive story that has the potential to captivate audiences for a brief period of time. Through the constraints and limitations of the equipment used, an unlikely exhibition of technique was possible, and it probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. For these reasons, I believe constraint is a necessity of art that promotes an evolution of ingenious endeavors. As artists, in our pursuit to express our wants, our desires, and our deepest thoughts, we waltz with poise around these constraints, self-imposed or not, but our definitive goal is to tell a story through an artistic medium and invoke a feeling in those who are gracious enough to open up and listen. To that effect, we are all constrained by a yearning to be understood, art is just the most effective way to say it.
-D.A. Baker
