I have often written about an artist's work without seeking to divine their intentions - only to receive an appreciative note from the artist, thanking me for pointing out something about their work they hadn't truly been aware of - in at least one case that I know of an artist has come to include one of my insights (comments) into their own narrative concerning their work
On 11/2/10 9:40 AM, "William Conger" <[email protected]> wrote: Recognizing the author's intentions for meaning in a poem does not exhaust the meanings that can be constructed for it and does not guarantee the best or most moving experience of it. Authorial intention may be necessary but it is never sufficient. wc ----- Original Message ---- From: joseph berg <[email protected]> To: aesthetics-l <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, November 2, 2010 4:00:27 AM Subject: "Students are often taught that the teacherbs opinion (embodying, ideally, a lifetime of personal study and centuries of...criticism and canon formation) is no more valid than their first impressions b itbs a matter of personal taste after all, and a http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/01/poetry-and-the-flight-from-meaning/ "Students are often taught that the teachers opinion (embodying, ideally, a lifetime of personal study and centuries of...criticism and canon formation) is no more valid than their first impressions its a matter of personal taste after all, and aesthetic judgment is a fraud." --
