Obscurity is from the tree of un-knowledge. It belongs to that which we do not know. We see a sharp image, and know what is there. We see an obscured image, but we do not know what exactly is there. We can hear crisp sounds, and we can here distorted sounds.
So if one knows little about obscurity, what can one write about it? There are the feelings that obscurity makes me feel. I feel a sense of curiosity in the presence of obscurity. I want to find out what is in the darkness, or behind the curtain, or underground, or who is behind the masque.
One can live an obscure life; a hidden life. Living in the shadows is mysterious. People are wary of those living in the shadows. “What can they be doing?” the people think. “It can’t be good if they are not willing to share it with us. It’s different. I’m afraid of what I could find.”
Distorted photographs hold a mystery. What was the artist thinking when he took this picture. He took the picture in the dark. The conditions were not right to make a clear image. It looks like an abstract painting. Abstract art is just a distorted view of the life most humans see. Art is a representation of how one sees the world, therefore, obscure art (as most art) is a sort of world-view. Unknown images could speak of lives lived in uncertainty.
Lo-fi sound can be aurally pleasing or ugly. One can have music behind a wall of distortion or static, and still sound beautiful. Black metal is a perfect example of the aesthetic quality of an obscured sound. Recorded with low quality equipment, black metal aims to distort what could otherwise be considered an aurally pleasing sound. In the process, it creates a new form of art using existing media, which some will find ugly, and others aesthetic.
Close your eyes and imagine looking out into a body of water that takes up your entire field of vision. In the outer edges of the water, you see a faint image. It is slowly growing in size, as if approaching. However, the image does not clear up. As it gets closer, you feel an unease. It is just you and this object in this moment, and you do not know whether it is harmful or amicable. This is obscurity.
Obscurity does not always have to be associated with negative feelings though. It can bring peace, as well. Hermits live their lives away from the eyes of the public. This can be for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are trying to live ascetic lives. Maybe they are fed up with what they see as a degenerating society. Maybe they like silence and solitude. Whatever the case, these obscure humans tend to stay out of the affairs of the general public, adding no harm to either side.
In a world where humanity is becoming more and more connected, through computers, cell phones and other technological devices, and in a world where knowledge is at our fingertips and a button-click away, obscurity offers us a welcome alternative to this must-have-now way of life. Obscurity leaves us wondering, and entertains our curiosity.
a good start, maybe i should assign myself more work ;)
-LJL
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