hatingongodot:

So the thing about modern art and interpretation is that for a lot of people it’s very context-reliant. For instance, they only feel comfortable with the “correct” interpretation of a work based on what they know of historical context (say, why Duchamp’s Fountain is of historical significance, what sort of questions it posed, etc). For many people who believe there is a “correct” interpretation based on context, it is uncomfortable to try and posit one’s own interpretation for fear of saying something “wrong”.

The thing is, even the idea that you can create your own interpretations of art based on your own emotions and knowledge and memories is… a sort of context that people don’t have?

Like, most of my friends and I are comfortable walking into, say, a modern art museum and immersing ourselves and going “THAT one is beautiful/stunning/disturbing because it reminds me of so-and-so, and it makes me feel this particular way, or I think it might be about this and that.”

But at the same time, we’re people who have regularly visited museums all our lives and for the most part have fairly well rounded liberal arts educations that included some form of curriculum about the major artistic or literary movements which led to the formation of the kind of “weird” art that exists today. Even if we may not recognize a particular piece at a museum, we have a larger context with which to work and which informs our level of comfort towards the act of interpretation.

Without the specific context and without a broader context, many people feel uncomfortable with interpreting modern art. It’s partially due to lack of practice, yes, but also I think it’s context heavy. They see an imposing museum containing things that don’t make any sense and don’t look particularly good, and without any context for what the art is trying to achieve (intellectual stimulation or emotional resonance rather than, say, a strict adherence to aesthetics) it feels a little like they’re on the outside of a large inside joke. Or, preferably, that THEY’RE actually the ones with the clear insight and the OTHERS are all deluded (“My four year old could draw that, can you believe they’re willing to hang this shit up in a museum”)

So most of the time I try to be a little more understanding of those folks, and I try to explain what it is that makes those resonate with me, because in the end I’m very lucky to be able to feel any amount of comfort with modern art and it’s better to try and open up others to the experience