Fine Art Begs
Like a whimpering dog, fine art too begs. It pants at our feet for a treat, begging for the sweet morsels of our perspective. The beauty in fine art is that we as the viewer can understand it through what we give to it. The perception and experiences of the audience is fundamental to the reception and understanding of art on a deeper level. The viewer must fully allow art to infiltrate their mind, as fine art is subjective and begs for the interpretation of the viewer. As some people show impatience for a begging dog and others a heavy heart and hand for it, the audience also views art disparagingly. Some view art through judgement, furrowed brows, tilted heads, silently or loudly. It's in each of those perspectives, that the viewer brings something unique to a work based on their willingness to see, to fully engage and fall freely into the abyss.
While the artist is enslaved to their creative process and willingly suffers at the hand of their ceaseless creation, they bring tangibility and expression to the inexpressible. The viewer's role therefore is to bring the already implied social and cultural allusions in the art to life through their perception and articulation. Viewers see, receive, and understand the gift of the artist’s soul in this tangible form, experiencing what the art is giving to those who choose to truly see. Being able to understand this allows for a secular revelation of the emotions evoked by the art.
John Lock conceptualizes perception through the human experience of interpretation and understanding of everyday life. He sees the construction of our ideas forming from environmental conditions and human reaction. This helps us to understand how people's perception of art can be determined by lived cultural and social experiences. Therefore, the notion of the viewer can be recognized as an abstraction where their social perception and reaction to art can morph through time, while the art remains static and eternal. Both the popularity and interpretation of the work will thus adjust to cultural changes, with each new generation interpreting it through the lens of different experiences, values and expectations. Hence, art is colored by each person’s personal preferences, which have developed through experience and exposure.
Metaphorically, artwork is a mirror for the viewer, reflecting our lived experiences, which, in turn, allows us to interact with the work on a deeply personal level. The artist’s intention for their work is unchanging, but the audience’s interpretation changes along with the tide of society. As art is multifaceted, fluid. It shifts with you allowing for infinite perspectives and interpretations without the work ever wavering. Just as how our faces can look different in the mirror every morning without actually really changing, art too can look different at every glance. However, art does really age, it remains immortal and constant. Art is meant to spark conversation, alter perspectives, change viewpoints, raise debate, and express the inexpressible. This can happen without the artist's intent changing, therefore, supporting the notion that art is a mirror, and the viewer sees their own personal, social and cultural interpretations in the work. However, having a prior understanding of the intent of the artist allows the audience to connect to the art on a deeper level. They can therefore better understand emotions the art evokes and what the art means to them at that exact juncture in their lives.
Art is more than just a pretty face: it's multi-layered, provocative and for some, life changing. And those who do see, are able to fully experience the magic of the work combining both the intent of the artists with their own perception.