Different interpretations

Based on the time period as well as the context of the art piece, viewers will form their own interpretation of the art piece. Susan Sontag mentions this when she says, "Interpretation thus presupposes a discrepancy between the clear meaning of the text and the demands of (later) readers." Berger mentions that "because of the camera, the painting now travels to the spectator rather than the spectator to the paining. In its travels, its meaning is diversified." Since paintings are in different contexts such as in many homes, the meaning could lose its original splendor and meaning. Bal and Bryson further supports this when they state, "ways of perceiving...have untiringly transformed the work in a thousand and one ways." Everyone has varying opinions and thoughts which causes different interpretations of the same artwork. These references emphasizes how different people will look at the same piece of art and see a different meaning. It was interesting to me to read the contrasting perceptions of the famous painting by Grand Wood called American Gothic. People saw it as "a parody of rigid, puritanical Midwestern thinking," "satirical statement about small town America," or "a trivute to hard working Americans overcoming adversity." Those who incorporated the Great Depression into the context of the painting came up with a different analysis of the painting (third quote) while non-Midwesterners might have had views similar to the first quote. As shown, perspectives changes from person to person.