The magic of art greater than its parts

I think one of the things that I love about creative arts, both with the stuff that I make and the art that I like, is how good art is basically always more than the sum of its parts. It’s magic, like a kind of alchemy that involves taking a way of representing an idea, whether that’s physical or not, and infusing it with meaning that comes from your life experiences.

In each case, the creator has had to build up their art from smaller elements, crafting them together. Paintings made of brush strokes, clothing made from pieces of fabric and thread, and even written stories made up of letters combined into words, words into sentences and pages and pages of those all constructing a coherent narrative. At each level there’s something interesting about how different creators bring together these component parts, so that they all work towards a common aim.

There’s also the magic that happens when people collaborate to make art. Watching TV shows or films, I’m always amazed at the number of people whose names appear in the credits. I know the impact of their role will differ, but even putting that aside there’s always something impressive about that level of collaboration. I know it happens all the time in everyday life – just think of how many people have been involved in getting food to your table – but having the contributors explicitly listed like that for a piece of art really brings home how working together can achieve impressive things that we couldn’t manage individually. It’s worth reminding ourselves of that. 

Then there’s the involvement and contribution of the audience. I love how I can revisit art (particularly books, I love rereading books) and take something different from it each time ? Terry Pratchett’s books are brilliant for this – when I read one again I’m never sure if I’ll spot a reference thanks to now having come across something in the real word, spot a pun that passed me by, or realise I finally understand a theme of the story and have already slotted it into my worldview.

Whether I’ve gained more experience (including experiencing other art, so there’s the potential for some epic feedback loops here) or I’m simply just in a different mood, I’m never quite the same person as the last time I experienced the art. Whether consciously or not, the best creators leave that gap for involvement and interpretation – without which the art just wouldn’t connect with people. And that connection is definitely something I aspire to when creating my own art.

It’s all definitely a kind of magic – and even better, one with so many disciplines you should be able to find one that you can try yourself. And returning to the wise words of Terry Pratchett once more, it doesn’t stop being magic just because you know how it’s done.