‘For the arts generally, critical interpretation is considered an important element of a picture’s validity. Interpretation is harder to pull off than criticism. It is easier to explain what you consider the merits or demerits of a picture than it is to say what you understand about it. The latter involves risk, the risk of being ‘wrong’; yet if you feel something about an image which no one else experiences, this does not make your view foolish. It simply means that your context, your life experiences or your training may have prepared you in a different way than others. Artistic ambiguity is good, leaving room for diversity of viewpoint and creating space for critical appreciation.’

Robert Albright HonFRPS

Reference

Albright, Robert (2018). ‘The Logical Next Step’. Journal, May 2018, Volume 158, Number 8, p. 323