Against Interpretation

By analyzing the content of art rather than merely experiencing it, we “set up a shadow world of ‘meanings’”—everything necessarily pointing at something else. In order to liberate ourselves from this diminishing way of seeing, she suggests valuing transparence instead. “Transparence means experiencing the luminousness of the thing in itself, of th... See more

In a culture whose already classical dilemma is the hypertrophy of the intellect at the expense of energy and sensual capability, interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art. Even more. It is the revenge of the intellect upon the world. To interpret is to impoverish, to deplete the world—in order to set up a shadow world of “meanings.” ... See more

4. Ever wonder about the vast universe of critically acclaimed aesthetic masterworks, most of which you do not really fathom? If you dismiss them, and mistrust the critics, odds are that you are wrong and they are right. You do not have the context to appreciate those works. That is fine, but no reason to dismiss that which you do not understand. T... See more