If the creator intended a meaning for the piece, the creator.
If the creator made something just for the fun of it and came up with a meaning afterwards, still the creator.
The audience can’t change that but what they can do is to not give a fuck about what the creator thinks so they are free give whatever meaning they want. Specially when the authors are no longer around to complain or explain what were their intentions.
It is not an either / or question.
Everyone, from the creator to the audience, determines the meaning for themselves.
The subjective nature of art is the only truth about art.
The human tendency to copy others behavior also translates into this; when people lack strong feelings about a piece of art, they are more likely to defer to other’s interpretation. This doesn’t mean they share the interpretation, rather that being agreeable was more important to them in the interaction than sharing an honest opinion.
The creator has a say, but can only influence the audience, not overrule or veto their interpretation.
Art is built on metaphor, which is an underlying connection between multiple meanings.
In semantic space, meanings are points while metaphors are vectors.
I don’t remember who said it (so I’m likely butchering the phrase), but I’ve heard that any creative work exists in three forms: The mind of the author, the physical copy, and the mind of the audience.
For example, a book/story exists as the author intends, as the author writes, and as the reader interprets.
No one of the three is more “correct” than the other.
Everybody is welcome to their own meaning, but I think the creators intent should be the only “official” meaning. Just to keep it consistent for historical sake.
Before and while its being made its the artist, the second someone else experiences that art its not really the artists anymore
The audience, obviously. That’s the majority of people who are going to experience it. Why would I watch anything if I can’t have my own opinions on it?
I argue for the audience for two reasons:
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The subjective experience for every individual will be different with any form of art.
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The audience is what determines if something is “art”, so without the audience the creator isn’t producing “art”.
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There’s a famous literary analysis essay about this, The Death of the Author, that argues for the latter. I happen to strongly believe this view.
I decide what a work of fiction means to me, and since it’s a work of fiction there is no “higher” meaning than that. Other people can of course present their ideas about what it means, and if I like those ideas I’ll adopt them into my own thoughts on the matter. The creator can be one of those “other people” but he gets no special role in the argument; he has to make his case just like anyone else and I feel free to say “no, that’s dumb. I think it means something else.”
Both, and also neither. The creator can have their own vision, the collective crowd can have their own, but you as an individual can have an interpretation outside of either of those. And none are any more valid than the rest.
Neither, I personally determine the meaning of art. Please feel welcome to ask about any pieces you are unsure of
I would like to understand the meaning of Goatse.
“It’s worth it to push through the pain!”
There is no single meaning. Viewers of the art can find meaning, but it won’t be canonical. I think the meaning the creator intended is important, but that isn’t necessarily what the audience will understand from the work.
So I guess I’m saying that the audience determines the meaning.
This is just “death of the author”
Ultimate IMO, the audience is free to determine the meaning of something, but they’re not free to pronounce that the author intended such a meaning.
Yes
