In every medium, the communication of ideas changes greatly from generation to generation. Whether the mode be by word, sound, drawing or painting, historical baggage and personal experience gives artists and audiences alike a unique outlook on each work they come across. Sol Lewitt described this disjuncture best in his written work about conceptual art. He states that:
"23. The artist may misperceive (understand it differently from the artist) a work of art but still be set off in his own chain of thought by that misconstrual."
and that:
"24. Perception is subjective."
These statements ring true for not just conceptual art but for art in the broadest sense. However the most important part of this idea is that misperception is not viewed in a negative manner. The original intent of the artist may not be picked up by the viewer however the viewer still cames away with an idea. A new idea can be added to the piece due to viewer's understanding of the work as well as the viewers own life experiences. This idea then gives birth to a series of ideas that, though not necessarily intended, still hold a truth all in their own. It is inevitable that viewers will bring their own bias and experience and thus the perception of a piece will differ from viewer to viewer demonstrating that perception depends wholly on the individual. Though the perception is different the idea the viewer formulates is not wrong, it is just unique.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)