I do not believe that the intent of the author matters to anyone, other than the author. Art is a subjective experience, only the individual experiencing it matters; their interpretations, their assumptions and projections–in short, all of their baggage applies. The author’s baggage has been checked at the gate. Certainly, if one wants a better understanding of the technical elements of a given piece of work, then it behooves that individual to learn more about the artist, and to read what they artists says about their own work. Still, that is an aside, splash of sunlight on an otherwise dark and uncertain road. To truly experience what is written, or painted, or any other medium of artistic expression, one must abandon the security of knowing (perhaps it is better to say the façade of security that is within the pretense of knowing), and enter into a pact with that piece of art. The artist can tell you what their intent was, but as with any experiment, intent and result are not always one and the same.
I do not believe that the intent of the author matters to anyone, other than the author. Art is a subjective experience, only the individual experiencing it matters; their interpretations, their assumptions and projections–in short, all of their baggage applies. The author’s baggage has been checked at the gate. Certainly, if one wants a better understanding of the technical elements of a given piece of work, then it behooves that individual to learn more about the artist, and to read what they artists says about their own work. Still, that is an aside, splash of sunlight on an otherwise dark and uncertain road. To truly experience what is written, or painted, or any other medium of artistic expression, one must abandon the security of knowing (perhaps it is better to say the façade of security that is within the pretense of knowing), and enter into a pact with that piece of art. The artist can tell you what their intent was, but as with any experiment, intent and result are not always one and the same.