That's Meaningful.

The readings this week talked all about the relationship that the artist has with his or her work that they create. Michael Foucault discusses the significance of the work to the artist. For example, one might create something to signify something that they find very important or meaningful to them whereas someone else might not have the same feelings towards the same subject matter. That tends to change the significance of a piece to different individuals.

Michael Baxandall goes into the interpretation of a piece of work. He explains that different viewers and artists view works of art differently than the creator of the art. When looking at something like Damien Hirst's Shark in a Tank, one viewer might think it represents something meaningful like embracing your fears, etc. but on the other hand one might look at it and simply think that it is just a shark in tank. It makes you wonder what the artist was trying to accomplish when they produced the artwork. Is there a certain message that they are trying to get across? What is the purpose of using this specific element in the work? It also makes you question what others think about the work that you create....

Questions:
1. Is the significance of a certain work of art always revealed to the viewer? How so?