First and foremost I must introduce myself. My name is Michael Indigo Moon. I am studying to become an Art Teacher. I have completed over half of my required courses (this is important information). One course I am currently taking is about Art Criticism. The classes I’ve taken so far, combined with the amount of hours I’ve spent with art, and making my own art, imply that I have a particular bias towards interpreting art.
I love to write. I have over 26 diaries (starting a few days before 9/11), and so far I have 4 blogs. I consider myself a multicultural person as I study and practice things from different spiritual and religious cultures. I am part of an improvisation movement (dance) group. I am interested in issues that deal with human behavior and the body. I enjoy conversations about different philosophies of love, intimacy, relationships, existence, and identity.
As a critic and art maker, I am attracted to artists who display creative means to conceptualizing human emotions and experiences. I enjoy photography of almost any kind. I enjoy some abstract works; mostly ones that are expressive with color. I am more experienced with two-dimensional works. I have very little experience with sculpture and installations. Because of my experience with dance, my three-dimensional works are normally oriented towards movement and performing arts.
When I look at artworks, my personal interests influence me. I like to apply my knowledge from my personal interests; taking the art and incorporating it as a reference for conversations. I like to uncover hidden concepts or ideas that an artist might intend for their work. I like discovering whom their intended audience is and any possible messages that they are trying to get across. I enjoy comparing an artist’s creative ideas with my own. You might say I am more interested in the ideas that artists have rather than their work.
I’d bet your wondering, why I’m telling you all this information about myself instead of babbling about Francesco Clemente? I am writing this blog entry to address an issue about the interpretation of art. The issue that I am addressing is misinterpretation. While people create interpretations, they are sometimes influenced by factors that do not interpret the actual art, which leads to making false judgments about art. In order for any reader to understand this issue, you will need to know some information about me as a critic and as a person. Francesco Clemente, and his works, are going to serve as our primary example as we will attempt to interpret his art while addressing the issue of misinterpretation.
The textbook for my criticism class is the second edition book Criticizing Art by Terry Barrett. In our class we have gone over how to properly describe, interpret, and criticize art based off of logical reasoning combined with other creative means. Our class has gone into depths about understanding what good descriptions are and how they differ from interpretations. Understanding these differences is important in criticism because interpretations can be subjected to different biases where descriptions are concrete. It takes experience to practice criticism appropriately in an objective fashion. Sometimes we need a guide to help us. This is why I am here. Understating a little about my background might help you see the kinds of lenses that I use when criticizing art. Different interpretations give any viewer more perspectives into what the art is about, what the artist might have intended when making the piece, as well as an understanding of what the art means to other people.
Going back to my focus: I’m writing about misinterpretation. What factors play into the misinterpretation of art works? How can a person recognize when they’re misinterpreting art? When looking at art you don’t understand, what steps can a person take to obtain a better understanding of the work? How can you tell when you “get it?”
Touching upon our artist, I will be discussing information about him, his art, my experiences and ideas, my feelings, and how all of these things relate and factor into the misinterpretation of art. The writing is also intended to guide readers in developing a clear understanding of how misinterpretation occurs.
These next few blog entries will serve as my mission to understanding misinterpretation, while using my camera and other resources on our artist. So put your napkins on your lap cause you’re in for a treat.
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