Freeland, C. A. (2001). But is it art?: an introduction to art theory.

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In the book “But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory” by Cynthia Freeland, Chapter 6 – Cognition, creation, comprehension – tackled the subject of how art is being interpreted and what it meant, taking into consideration the two leading theories of art, namely the cognitive theory and the expression theory.
Various aspects can impact the meaning and interpretation of art. Based on the two theories of art, both cognitive and the expression theory of art, connotes that art can communicate. Through art, emotions, feelings, ideas, and thoughts can be communicated. Art interpretation also plays a significant role since it illustrates how art can express this. As described by the author, interpretation serves to explain how something works to relay any emotions, ideas, and thoughts that it wants to convey. A reasonable interpretation is rooted in reliable evidence and well-rounded reasoning to provide a clear and concise way of understanding an individual work of art (Freeland, 2001, p. 149).
At the beginning of this chapter, to closely examine the various interpretation of a work of art, Francis Bacon’s paintings were used as examples. Critics employ various approaches in interpreting an individual work of art. Some focus on compositional beauty, while others employ psychobiographical interpretation. However, according to the artist himself, his works reflect his painting practice during this new and different era. There is no right or wrong interpretation in terms of understanding art. However, some interpretations are considered superior to others, mainly when more aspec...