The Familiar Made Strange: Defamiliarization Technique
In 1917, Russian Formalist critic Viktor Shklovsky introduced a concept that would fundamentally change how we think about art: ostranenie—defamiliarization, or “making strange.” His insight was radical: The purpose of art isn’t to make us comfortable. It’s to make us see again. We spend our lives on autopilot, perceiving the world through habits and categories. We don’t see a chair—we see “chair,” the concept. We don’t experience morning coffee—we execute a routine. ...