ABSTRACT
Tension is a term that is used by scholars and practitioners in all few media. Tension can also be created though intellectual engagement. When speaking about painting, the same fundamental concepts apply to drawing and photography; or really any medium that creates a still image within a frame. The frame, in essence, defines the medium. A moment captured in time, placed in some sort of frame, for all the world to appreciate. Painting is different than medias of motion. A painter's frame is not fleeting. Literary tension exists within the balance between literal and metaphorical meaning; between what is written and what the text implies. Symbolism uses an item to represent a larger idea. The tension in theater begins before the curtain is drawn. Over the centuries, a series of expectations have been created. As in painting, storytellers in theater guide the eye of the audience to create a sense of visual weight and visual direction.
