Steven Millhauser’s “A Change in Fashion” and “A Precursor of The Cinema” are two stories about art; they explore notions of art and literature and the relationship between artist and creation, creation and viewer, artist and viewer.
In “A Change in Fashion” a shift in designer trends contributes to the ever concealing and expanding creation of extravagant dresses. These dresses evolve and come to be stand-alone forms with no wearers, then the status-quo shifts back to a simplistic style, and the public is left with only nostalgic remnants of the fabric that once were sewn larger than rooms. The dresses, as pieces of art and literature, become “[liberated] from the tyranny of the body,” and “sheltered [artists] from sight…[and] allowed them to bring forth forbidden longings.” However, the relationship between dress and wearer, artist and creation, is complicated. While art and literature are a shedding of bodily form, a shield from physicality, the paradox lies in that “[artists are] never more naked than when concealed from view,” the expression of oneself, one’s emotions in a piece of art can be more vulnerable, a greater invasion of privacy, than standing physically naked.
“A Precursor of The Cinema” is a story in the nineteenth century of an artist and innovator named Harlan Crane. Throughout his artistic journey Millhauser gives fantastical detail of Crane’s art, and the animated motion of his paintings. Crane’s art is extremely evocative, and acts as a theatrical exploration of how viewers interact with art. This can be applied to all art, including literature. A resonating piece of art can “enact for mass audiences, through modern technology, an ancient mystery” and can draw people to “unfamiliar and alluring dreams.” The story explores the darker side of art, in Crane’s last exhibition, there is chaos and upset from the viewers interacting with the art. Pieces of literature can consequently erupt mass upset, and sometimes insight violence. This is often followed by condemnation of the art and artist, misplaced blame for mishandling of emotion of the masses.