Barrett's Principles of

Interpretation
·FEELINGS ARE GUIDES TO INTERPRETATIONS
EMOTIONS ARE CRUCIAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD AND
INTERPRETING WORKS OF ART. "THE WORK OF ART IS GRASPED
THROUGH THE FEELINGS AS MUCH AS THE SENSES," GOODMAN
SAYS OF THE ROLE OF EMOTIONS IN ART INTERPRETATION.
"EMOTION IN AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE IS A MEANS OF JUDGING
WHAT TRAITS A WORK HAS AND EXPERIENCES," WRITES ISRAEL
SCHEFFLER, A PHILOSOPHER WHO WRITES ABOUT EDUCATION AND
ART AND IS A PROPONENT OF GOODMAN'S THEORY OF ART.
EMOTIONS ASSIST US IN FORMING A VIEW OF THE WORLD AND
DEFINING ITS KEY FEATURES: EMOTIONS ASSIST US IN SEEING THE
WORLD.

·AN ARTWORK IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT WHAT THE ARTIST

WANTED IT TO BE ABOUT.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT AN ARTIST MEANT WHEN CREATING A
WORK OF ART CAN BE A HUGE HELP IN COMPREHENDING THAT
WORK OF ART. FOR INTERPRETERS TRYING TO COME UP WITH
EXPLANATIONS FOR ARTISTS' WORKS, THE AIMS OF THE ARTISTS
CAN BE QUITE USEFUL. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INTERPRET ARTISTS'
WORKS, IT WOULD BE INTELLECTUALLY FOOLISH TO IGNORE THEIR
REMARKS ABOUT THEIR WORKS. HOWEVER, BARRETS BOOK DOES
NOT CLAIM THAT THE WORK ALWAYS IMPLIES WHAT THE ARTIST
WANTS IT TO MEAN. ADHERENCE TO WHAT IS KNOWN IN
CRITICISM AND AESTHETICS AS AN INTERNATIONALISTS
VIEWPOINT OF INTERPRETATION IS TO BELIEVE THAT A WORK OF
ART MEANS WHAT ITS CREATOR INTENDED IT TO MEAN.

·ALL ART IS IN PART ABOUT THE WORLD IN WHICH IT EMERGED.

EVERY WORK OF ART CAN BE VIEWED TO EMERGE FROM THE
CONTEXT OF THE TIME AND PLACE IN WHICH IT WAS CREATED. ON
THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN'T COMPREHEND A WORK OF ART
WITHOUT IMAGINATIVELY RELOCATING IT IN ITS ORIGINAL
CONTEXT. THE ARTIST IS NOT IMMUNE TO THE REALITIES OF LIFE.
THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE FACT THAT ART IS A REFLECTION,
MEDITATION, OR COMMENTARY ON LIFE. HOW ART REPRESENTED
REAL-LIFE OR EXISTENTIAL CONCERNS THAT WE ARE ALL DEALING
WITH