Ambiguity as Hospitality in Art

A lecture given at L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/

by Ben Keyes

The most moving and powerful art usually does not tell us exactly what to think. Many of the best paintings, songs, poems and short stories leave us with questions that linger in our minds. This does not necessarily indicate that these works have no intended meaning. Rather, the artist, by leaving our questions unanswered and requiring our engagement, has left us room to enter into their creative space. Because it "leaves room," ambiguity in art can function as a kind of hospitality to the audience. How can we make art that leaves more room for our viewers and listeners? What are some of our misgivings about allowing a piece to remain ambiguous?

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