The creator (ideally) knows what they wanted to say, their effectiveness in expressing it is skill-dependent. Those engaged with their content should be able to understand what the creator tried to say, which is also skill-dependent (if you’re clever enough you can even understand what the creator wanted to say even if they don’t communicate it properly/at all!). You can also ‘take it’ this or that way, even while knowing that the creator didn’t mean it that way.
Yes.
I don’t remember who said it (so I’m likely butchering the phrase), but I’ve heard that any creative work exists in three forms: The mind of the author, the physical copy, and the mind of the audience.
For example, a book/story exists as the author intends, as the author writes, and as the reader interprets.
No one of the three is more “correct” than the other.
There is no single meaning. Viewers of the art can find meaning, but it won’t be canonical. I think the meaning the creator intended is important, but that isn’t necessarily what the audience will understand from the work.
So I guess I’m saying that the audience determines the meaning.
I argue for the audience for two reasons:
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The subjective experience for every individual will be different with any form of art.
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The audience is what determines if something is “art”, so without the audience the creator isn’t producing “art”.
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The audience, obviously. That’s the majority of people who are going to experience it. Why would I watch anything if I can’t have my own opinions on it?
Art is built on metaphor, which is an underlying connection between multiple meanings.
In semantic space, meanings are points while metaphors are vectors.
Only this guy decides https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpmI7w57MKw
Neither, I personally determine the meaning of art. Please feel welcome to ask about any pieces you are unsure of
Both imo. The creator can mean something but you can have something mean whatever you want to yourself.
Before and while its being made its the artist, the second someone else experiences that art its not really the artists anymore
Everybody is welcome to their own meaning, but I think the creators intent should be the only “official” meaning. Just to keep it consistent for historical sake.
Yes
