To clarify- itās not just āthis is stupidā and then youāre done, finding the meaning in something that seems meaningless can usually be found by starting with that base feeling, āThis sucks.ā Okay- why does it suck, specifically?
āThis is just a vaccuum cleaner, it doesnāt belong in a museumā. Okay, follow that thread- why is that weird? Is it the elevation of normal commercial products to be put on a pedestal? Does that sentiment remind you of anything? How does that make you feel?
āThis is just splatters, anyone could do this.ā Anyone could, couldnāt they? Anyone can create things, anyone can make these movements and gestures. Dancing does the same thing, doesnāt it? How do the splatters imply the artistās movements? What does it say about them?
āThis person made a mobile out of twine, flower pots, and pictures of cats. How is this art?ā What mediums do you define as āartā? Paint? Marble sculpture? Photos? Why are you so sure that this is what art is? Doesnāt this remind you of the kind of crafts a child would make, or maybe a first-time DIYer? Is that intentional? Does the construction or material evoke any other emotions?
This isnāt an end-all be-all, of course- among many other things, thereās postmodern art thatās just for a show of mastery, thereās art thatās commenting on a very certain time in history or about something within the art community you may not be privy to, and thereās art thatās simply about creating and the creative process. Itās hard to approach a full narrative with just a single sentiment. This canāt cover every single topic, obviously.
That being said, itās just as important to note that in many cases, thereās no wrong answers in art or interpretation. If your takeaway is completely different from the artist, as long as you donāt try to insist that the artist has no real say over their workās meaning, thatās totally fine. A large part of non-representational art is reliant on emotions, and emotions are informed by your experience as a human being. Your interpretation is just as right as anyone elseās. And you donāt even have to LIKE everything- I hate Jeff Koons and his stupid balloon dogs! Cremaster makes me incredibly uncomfortable and even if thatās the point itās still uncomfortable enough that it makes me not like it! You can just not like certain art, itās not all-or-nothing itās good or itās not.
TL;DR- if you have a hard time āgettingā art, try listening to your base reaction to what youāre looking at, and then ask yourself why it makes you feel that way, and why itās constructed the way it is.
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