Y Tanaka - The Story It Tells

When we look at a piece of art, we first examine formal choices made by the artist, such as materials, surface treatment/gesture (brush strokes, etc), composition, color, texture, scale, position and how it’s made (process). Then we try to understand why the artist made such choices, as well as the artist’s intension. To get to that point, it’s important to know what “meaning” is and how it’s embedded in a work of art.

“Meanings” are not absolute as we live in a society, which is changing politically, socioeconomically, environmentally, technologically, historically, personally, etc., in flux, therefore meanings change, too. “Signification” is interpreting its meaning and it’s embedded in a complicated world. It depends on who is speaking, where they are, who is being addressed, how the message is delivered, and what the circumstances are, etc. When we look at a piece of art, we first notice what we can see obviously (“denote”), then how we can read it or make sense out of it (“connote”). “Content” and “subject matter” are different. For example, subject matter is denotative and content connotative. Furthermore, how the work was done (process) is a determining factor for content or meaning, and not what was created (subject matter). The work can also be read/interpreted according to how the work is presented by the artist - “descriptively” or “prescriptively”.

Sometimes the subject matter weights more than the content unintentionally by the artist when the subject matter is so strong, such as gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, handicap, etc. That could lead to an incorrect interpretation of art by the viewer. “Who tells the story” also has a major impact on the content. The identify of the artist, such as gender, ethnicity, culture can influence the meaning of art. Objectifying other person (people) as the subject can make things complicated even further and it may not reveal the artist’s meaning as it was intended. The new way of viewing the art in such perspective has derived from the fact that the rise of feminism in the late 1960s and early 1970s and discoveries of “non-Western” artists. Who behind the work became very critical as to analyzing the work of art. It shouldn’t be the focal point, yet without it, art may not be complete.

When looking at a work of art, we immediately notice an element that stands out the most. In other words, it’s been foregrounded. Then we begin investigation of the art further by careful examination of each formal element, such as form, color (refers to certain emotion, symbol, index), pattern, palette, a theatre (placement), configurations, composition, gesture (act of art making), material, process, etc which will land to a meaning.

To understand the meaning of art is complex. We must consider not only what’s visible but also what’s behind the work as well as who is the maker. I do agree that it’s important to know who the artist is, what’s his/her background is, what/who influenced the artist, and any other factors or life related to the artist as detail as possible in order to fully understand the intention/meaning of the particular art, therefore, provide a good and constructive criticism.