Art as Magic

[Philip Overby]

I'm sure some variation of this has been done before surely (the video game Okami is as close as I can imagine), but I am working on novel right now where art manifests itself as magic. It works like this: the better artist one is, the stronger the magic.

The magic feeds off of peoples' emotion to it, much as illusions do. If the art is erratic and out of control, so will the magic be. If it is delicate and done with precision, then it is more focused magic, able to be manipulated by the Artist. Yet without people to see the Art, it has no effect. It's just a painting. Therefore Artists may keep followers around them at all times. Admirers, critics, bodyguards, whoever they wish. The most powerful Artists would be the ones with the most "fans." Or at least those who couldn't help but marvel at their skill.

A modern day analogy would be "liking" something on Facebook or Youtube. The more positive reaction to the art, the stronger it becomes. Feeding off peoples' approval. Or on the other hand, their fear. As long as it is a real emotion.

Art also can counter other art. Think of it like a graffiti artist tagging a wall. An Artist can create a wall of flame. If another Artist wants to counteract the wall of flame, they may create a giant wave crashing down on it. Essentially, "painting" over it.

The weakness of this kind of magic is that it is totally dependent on opinions of those who see it. The way this style of magic works is kind of like how illusions do. If an illusion is unbelievable, then it doesn't work. Same for this kind of magic.

In this society, Artists are trained and well respected and feared. They follow classical styles of art. But of course there would be those Artists who did not follow these standards who could be dangerous in their unpredictability.

The world was shaped by art and thus can be constantly changed by the Artists who rule it. A Kingdom that once was a desert may transform into a beautiful forest, if those in charge so choose it. A "vandalist" may corrupt a piece of the forest by making it into distorted black hole or a burnt out husk. These types of Artists would be dangerous en masse.

I imagine Artists doing battles with reams of paper and paint, easels and banners, oils and watercolors. I'm thinking of even taking it in a sort of comedic way. It lends itself to both serious and comedic paths I think.

Anyway, I'm still working out the details with it. Do you think it could work? Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[Parqstu]

I really like it. It's original and sounds fun!

If you could work it well, wich it seems you can. I think it's a great idea and it could work. People would be interested by it and artists may want to read it.

Maybe people may even start to use it after you have , eh.

You could be a pioneer of magic, hah

 

[Ravana]

Sure it could work. Apart from simply having artwork serve as a magical "focus"–in which case it's no different from having anything else serve the same function–I love the idea of it actually altering reality through collective opinion. Which also means that artists would be competing for patronage, in order to obtain the best venues for displaying their work; similarly, patrons would be competing for the best artists, in order to extend their own power and influence. Sounds like you have a real winner on your hands.

Would be interesting to consider whether or not distribution–i.e. "publishing"–has an effect: can works be copied, so that they can be displayed in more places to more people, and thus garner greater power? Or does only the original produce the effect? Also, consider the effect of "advertising"–particularly if only the original is effective: is word spread about to encourage pilgrimages to the locales where the work is being displayed? (This is in many ways the motivation behind the construction of many great cathedrals: they were intended to attract pilgrims… in modern terms, "drawing in tourist dollars.")

 

[Chilari]

That sounds really awesome. It does seem to me that art is rarely mentioned in fantasy, like people forget it even exists - and I can hardly claim innocence. It's only recently, as a result of studying ancient art in a seminar and also watching something on TV about ancient Britain, that I've really thought about art in fantasy. This is a really innovative way of using art, and magic for that matter, in a fantasy world. Props.

 

[Kittenmay]

Very interesting, I like it a lot.
Agreed with Chilari, its not a common way to portray things in fantasy.
But a fresh outlook is usually the best when it comes to this sort of thing. Good job

 

[chicola]

Have you ever read mordant's need by Stephen Donaldson? It is not the same but it does have something about making mirrors that show things that transport into the world things like dragons or earthquakes...

It is a really good series by the way...

 

[Ghost]

This is fascinating, Phil. I especially like that the magic has a strong social component, so it would have some intriguing quirks. I think Ravana's question about copies is interesting. I wonder about the range of the artwork, how large a piece can be. I also wonder if there'd be some sort of government regulation about what's acceptable. Do people art suppliers and manufacturers have special status too? They could have a racket, demanding a cut on profits. I wonder what an art class would be like in elementary school!

This is a great idea, and I'd love to see what you do with it. It reminds me of the folktale, "The Magic Paintbrush."

ETA: What about collaborations? Do any artists (apart from vandals) work anonymously? What about turpentine?

 

[Centerfield97]

I found this very, very interesting! Only problem is, what prevents a vandalist from just destroying, well, everything, with just a few swipes of a paintbrush? Are there physical/magical limits to what a singular artist can accomplish? Can multiple artists working on the same piece have any sort of effect on its potential power? Are there any drawbacks to painting, because of its magical properties? Does sculpture count in the art, or solely painting?

 

[Ghost]

Only problem is, what prevents a vandalist from just destroying, well, everything, with just a few swipes of a paintbrush?

That would suck. Even if the range was very limited, enough people doing it presents a problem. Someone with skills like Titian paints a scene and says, "Yay! It's pretty good!" Then some vandal comes along, paints black over it, and says, "Yay, a black hole!" Imagine that happening all the time. I bet they'd be the disgruntled people who can't paint well. People could disapprove of the black holes, making the magic stronger.

I wonder about other 2d art, like pastels, crayons, chalk, pencils, markers, ink, etc. If I sketch a picture with a stick in the sand, would that work? What if someone were to do skywriting and thousands of people liked it, does it still gain power? lol

What happens to the art after the artist dies? Would things like prehistoric cave-paintings or ancient Egyptian paintings still have power? What happens if you paint living things?

 

[Philip Overby]

This was sort of a kernel of an idea. Haven't thought about all these things you are mentioning. The story is actually on hold for the time being, but these are good things to think of when I get back to working on it. Glad it's piqued interest so long after I posted this.

 

[DavidJae]

The Japanese concept of Damashi applies here, which is a bit like soul or energy. The confidence and passion of the artist, in this case, could be proportional to their power. How would their magic manifest itself, and what would it be used for?

This is an interesting concept though, and you should definitely explore it.

Consider looking into Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, which has some similar themes, as does DC's Green Lantern Kyle Rayner.

 

[Ghost]

I'm not usually sold on concept alone, but this one still amazes me. I officially have a grudge against Phil until he writes this.

 

[Christopher Wright]

It's funny... I'm working on something sort of similar right now. Not 100%, but there are eerie parallels. Great minds!

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I'm not usually sold on concept alone, but this one still amazes me. I officially have a grudge against Phil until he writes this.

You're not gonna dropkick him into oblivion if he doesn't hurry up and write it, are you? 'Cause if you do, he'll never write it.

 

[Ghost]

Actually, I only thought to have a grudge. You are right. I should threaten to dropkick him into oblivion. Even better, I'll dropkick someone else to prove I mean business. You have the best ideas, Mr. Sidekick!

Is there anyone in kicking range?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Actually, I only thought to have a grudge. You are right. I should threaten to dropkick him into oblivion. Even better, I'll dropkick someone else to prove I mean business. You have the best ideas, Mr. Sidekick!

Is there anyone in kicking range?

*gulp* "Everyone! Get back!"

What have I done?

 

[gavintonks]

Stephen Donaldson wrote 2 books where the magicians use mirrors and conjure images in the mirrors which are then real, like a volcano for instance
Mordant's Need
Main article: Mordant's Need

The Mirror of Her Dreams (1986)
A Man Rides Through (1987)
It is an intriguing story although I felt is was not finished may help with your thought process

 

[Saigonnus]

I believe Terry Goodkind did something similar in his sword of truth series. There was a lone "magician" who had the power to "manifest" what he drew. He could draw the protagonist in a cage and create that cage around the MC and the like. I think it hasn't been done that much, so it is definitely a good start on something.

 

[studentofrhythm]

Saigonnus, that reminds me of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

I think Phil's idea could be very effective because it is so close to how real-life "magic" does work. We do create an energy by our use of images and created worlds.