Interpretation...is it valid critique?

[Truerenigma]

"So is art purely subjective?"
Yes.

"I’m sorry, it isn’t. I know it’s a golden little dream that feels warm
and cuddly when we hold onto it, but it simply isn’t true."
When I look at paintings of sharks or war atrocities, I somehow
don't feel warm and cuddly.
yeah, I meant the idea that "art is perception", not art itself
"one’s reaction to art IS purely subjective."
One's reaction to an object is (or isn't) the art.
The object has physical attributes, we're the ones
who perceive it (or not) as art.

"But one’s opinion or enjoyment of something does not affect the work itself."
Yes, whether I think the painting is art or not certainly doesn't affect
the painting.

"It is possible for art to be good or bad; even more so it is possible for
art to be better or worse."
The painting just sits there, it's you who decide how 'good' or 'bad'
you think it is. Many great artists say with great certainty that
the work of another great artists is terrible. There's no way to explain
these opinions objectively.

"And the more extreme the difference, the easier it is to tell. If I draw a
little sketch, that sketch is not as good as a Picasso piece. Even if my
mom looks at it and loves it, it isn’t better. It is worse. It’s OK for my
mom to like it more; that is her subjective opinion. But it would be silly
of her to try to objectively claim it was better. It isn’t. That is a fact.
I don’t know how to draw. Every technical aspect would be worse.
Every creative aspect would be worse. Is my mom stupid for liking mine
more? No. Do I look down on her? No. But is my piece better?
Absolutely not."

That fact that art is subjective is what makes it possible for you to
judge it. That you belong to a large group (including myself) that
share the same criteria for 'good' doesn't make our criteria better
or worse than any other.

'Objectivity' is just another way we flatter ourselves;
it's a delusion created by our hubris.

That's a pretty broad statement, and its premise is subjectsubjective

---

"One's reaction to an object is (or isn't) the art."

Really? Then what are, (or aren't) these?


the products of human creativity; works of art collectively
"an art exhibition"
"a fine collection of art"

the creation of beautiful or significant things
"art does not need to be innovative to be good"
"I was never any good at art"
"he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully"

superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation
"the art of conversation"
"it's quite an art"

photographs or other visual representations in a printed publication
"the publisher was responsible for all the artwork in the book"

Etc..