the art process: step two
meaning
Step
2
Now that you have listened to the visual song in front of you, now that you have collected all of your evidence as the crime scene investigator: You can use your evidence to find meaning in your work. Worried about not being right? Worry NOT! An artwork will have thousands of different explanations depending on who stares at it. Why?
It is because you don't just use the evidence you have collected. Those things you observed can mean different things to different people. The color red might mean love to you, and anger to someone else. A tricycle might remind you of a pleasant memory and remind your friend of a tragic childhood moment.
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As the viewer of art, you are allowed to use the evidence AND tap into your own experiences to find meaning.
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Still don't believe me? This is why a couple can listen to a song and decide it is about their relationship and then it becomes "our song". This is why "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child reminds someone about the attacks on the twin towers on 9/11.
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How to connect the dots
To find meaning, find out why things are put together the way they are.
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Context can be defined as the order in which items are placed so a message is understood. In sentence form, "Let's eat, abuelito!" and Let's eat abuelito!" are completely different just by adding or omitting the comma in the middle of the sentence.
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In artwork, this can be done with figures, colors, medium, a slight change in image and your story changes. Duchamp added a mustache onto a copy of the Mona Lisa. He changed the context.
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At the very least, guess. Once you, the viewer process the art, it is yours. What you think the artwork is about is what the artwork is about. There is no ONE answer!
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Pro tip
If you are stuck, Google the artist. Read the artist label, learn more to see the artwork at a deeper level. "To understand the art, you should first understand the artist."
