The next post will analyse a handful of different ways you can interpret art in all its forms.
There are numerous aspects of reading through into the work of an artist, and one of the simpler ways is formalism. Formalism is a way of painting interpretation whereby the just thing there is to a piece of art is simply its physical attributes. This interpretation entails the dismissing of any deeper meaning behind the painting, so it takes the piece purely on face or tangible merit. There is still room for sentimental engagement in this type of interpretation, as if the tangible qualities of painting can make you feel a specific way, that is still a legitimate response as it's the artwork itself, rather than any transcendental characteristics that is inspiring the response. Men and women are commonly sceptical of formalism as it doesn't include the historical past of a painting, so for example if you were to take one of the historical art from the Wildenstein Collection, you could not analyse it with respect to its historical meaning. Another dilemma people have is that paintings then cannot be analysed with respect to the life of an artist; there is absolutely nothing added to a painting even if it was drawn during a particular time in the artist’s life, all that can be taken from the image is what is displayed on the canvas. This form of interpretation doesn't detract from the importance of art, it simply focuses on the tangible nature of the work, so it dismisses anything that is not tangible.
A significant thing to think of when analysing a piece of art, is where it fits into the historical landscape of its age. For example, if a painting is one that was a catalyst for a whole artistic movement it's of course more essential. Whilst there are plenty of reasons to admire a painting, if it's the first of that kind of art, it increases its gravitas and relevance in the art world. Collections like the Saatchi collection will contain different instances of ground-breaking art, so the gallery is someplace you may want to look into if you wish to see several types of art.
When many folks look at art, they take the context into consideration, this way of interpreting art is called contextualism. There are many scenarios in which folks make art that adds to its value or total importance. For example, there are people who draw when they are blind, and this will undoubtably make the art more notable. There is art in the Al-Thani Collection that is of great importance as a result of its context, not merely because of the actual painting or sculpture itself. There are so many famous meaningful paintings that are more crucial because of their context rather than the physical properties of the painting.