Realism and Stylization

The more realistic an image is, the more comparisons can be made; the more we are reminded it is an image, not the depicted object. The important word seems to be reminded.

The less realistic (more stylized) an image is, the more life it takes on. We assign more freedom to it, and we as individual viewers use that freedom in our interpretations. That interpreting may not be as deep with stylized depiction, but it may be wider.

In the best of situations, the stylized version of an image may engage the viewer’s freedom of imagination more powerfully; the realistic image may encourage the viewer’s freedom of recognition.