Sigmund Freuds The Uncanny

Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who created an entirely new approach to the understanding of the human personaility. In Sigmund Freuds Essay of the Uncanny (1919) he explains the subject of the uncanny is a province of this kind. It undoubtedly belongs to all that is terribleto all that arouses dread and creeping horror; it is equally certain, too, that the word is not always used in a clearly definable sense, so that it tends to coincide with whatever excites dread. Yet we may expect that it implies some intrinsic quality which justifies the use of a special name. One is curious to know what this peculiar quality is which allows us to distinguish as uncanny certain things within the boundaries of what is fearful. As good as nothing is to be found upon this subject in elaborate treatises on aesthetics, which in general prefer to concern themselves with what is beautiful, attractive and sublime, that is with feelings of a positive nature, with the 1 First published in Imago, Bd. V., 1919; reprinted in Sammlung, Fnfte Folge. circumstances and the objects that call them forth, rather than with the opposite feelings of unpleasantness and repulsion. The meaning behind this is the subject of the Uncanny where something may or can seem familiar to everyones eyes, but yet not quite right but much more like foreign instead, which gives people the sense of discomfort of not quite understanding the mean behind what theyre looking at. Their head is trying to picture the correct version of the object, person or whatever it may be but still not able to due to constantly seeing the incorrect version of what they think theyre seeing. Which may very well be the correct version but to a persons eye it isnt. This then creates whats called an Cognitive Dissonance which we are attracted to, yet repulsed by an object at the same time. Ron Mueck: There are a few examples of artists that can give and represent the effectiveness of the Uncanny to their audience such as Ron Mueck for example he displays Sculptures that give off such realism of the human body but un-natural size, maybe just a part of the body or in-depth detail that its actually quite freaky and scary but yet we can still relate to it as normal but at the same time cant due to it actually not being real but being so realistic thus then giving us the Uncanny impression. An example of some of his artwork:

Fig. 1 Realistic Giant head This Giant head from anyones point of view is actually really freaky because of the realistic and realism look the head has to it you expect it to open its eyes at any moment but realistically you know its not going to great example of the Uncanny Within Ron Muecks artwork Sculptures.

Fig. 2 Realistic Giant man This again is a great example of the Uncanny the amount of detailed realism to this sculpture instantly makes you feel un-comfy especially the way its eyes are actually facing the way these people are taking a picture. It almost feels like hes about to stand up or suddenly shout boo to frighten whoever may be looking at him. It also gives you the feeling of mood within this Sculpture for example if you was to relate this Sculpture with a real person doing this exact same position or just relating the sculpture itself then you may give it the sense of loneliness, boredom, homeless maybe, angry or even posing for maybe a life drawing class. Ron Muecks Sculptures all give a great Uncanny sense about them for the audience of whoever may be looking at them.

Edward Hopper: Edward Hopper is also a great example of an Artist that shows great Uncanny but has a different approach to the way he shows it to his audience, He painted things like hotels, motels, trains, highways and much more and also liked to paint public and semi-public places where often people would gather like restaurants, theatres, cinemas and even offices. But these painting are seemed in some way to stress the theme of loneliness which seems to be a big part of Edward Hoppers paintings for example these pictures show great sense of both uncanny and loneliness.

Fig. 3 People at what seems to be a bar. This I feel is very un-comfy but yet very intriguing, it almost feels like you watching a film and you trying to figure out whats about to happen next except the difference is with a painting is that its on a constant pause button as if almost frozen in time so only your imagination can help you think of the situation which might be happening next or what is happening at the very moment. We see a girl in a red dress with another man but are they there going on a date? Are they friends? Are they even related? Do they even know each other or is it just a coincidence there sat right near each other? Is the guy in the white just a person that works there? Is he the owner? Does he know anyone there? And also as well theres just the one guy on his own which actually has his back facing away from what we can see from this view which also gives the uncanny experience because we cant see the front of him and we dont know what hes actually up to he could be doing anything. Is he there meeting someone at night? Is he just a local and gone there for a drink? Does he know anyone there? He might even be the manager? Is he gone there for something to eat? Why is he not facing towards us but rather facing away from us? And there are so many questions you can ask yourself about this picture about whats what, but yet we wont ever find out because its just a picture thats showing a story thats frozen in time much like a cliff hanger in a film thats never going to explain itself.

Edward Hoppers work shows very good techniques when it comes to situations like this where you feel really un-easy about the picture due to not knowing beyond the unknown of what it all means thus then giving the sense of Uncanny but with a different approach rather than having specific things deformed about the image its much rather having the image as normal but leaving it on a constant frozen cliff hanger, where you have to use your imagination but then question your imagination as to whether you really think thats the correct answer to that painting. Other great examples of his work that do this are:

Fig. 4: Guy and Girl outside talking, but why? And what about?

Again another great example of the unknown of whats happening within a scene, are these two just come back from a date and are talking? Or they have an argument? Who knows but it relates well also to young love as what we can see from the picture and what it feels when you look at this picture.

Fig. 5 Man sitting beside the bed why? Yet another great example of confusion within a scene have these two just had an argument? Is he about to get ready to go work? Has he done something and is now regretting it? Is this even his wife? Why is there a book beside the bed? All these type of questions and loads more can run through are head when looking at Edward Hoopers work and its this that makes his work so powerful and gives an amazing great sense of the uncanny for the audience.

Illustration. Fig. 1 Realistic Giant head, http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ron-mueck-sculptureimages.shtml Fig. 2 Realistic Giant man, http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ron-mueck-sculptureimages.shtml Fig. 3 People at what seems to be a bar, http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hopper/street/hopper.nighthawks.jpg Fig. 4: Guy and Girl outside talking, but why? And what about? http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvUwD_Ipm4/Tea4GdzOigI/AAAAAAAAOy8/FF2c3BFjZsc/s800/edward-hopper-14.jpg Fig. 5 Man sitting beside the bed why? http://www.101bananas.com/art/hopper4.2.jpg