The “Out of Focus” exhibition at Paris’ Musée de l’Orangerie explores the concept of blurriness, which the title itself suggests might unsettle viewers. Blurriness, in its essence, refers to a state where an image, whether physical or mental, lacks defined limits. Its contours are indistinct, and its forms fade. Depending on the level of uncertainty, identification can range from dubious to impossible, contrasting with the clarity of more satisfactory conditions. In representational art, such as painting, photography, or cinema, blur serves as a disruption to the ideal of complete visibility.
However, the exhibition delves into the complexities of this disruption, noting that it can be both unintentional, like a poorly adjusted optical mechanism, and intentional. Many photographers have deliberately employed seemingly defective settings to draw attention. The digital blurring of images has also become a common practice online, often used for asserted moral or security purposes.
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