Figurative art: A minefield of interpretations
The figurative work, in original language
The interpretation of a figurative work can indeed be subject to misunderstandings or misinterpretations. I am keen to raise this subject because it is visibly recurring for so many reasons and therefore becomes a generator of divergences.
I still have a very present memory of the hours of classes in Art School where the teaching evoked iconography in which it was a question of linking the composition to the intentional research of the artist and of being able to appropriate a certain reading considered qualitative to allow a better understanding of the work visualized. This analysis has always created a deep unease in me which, in the absence of the author, had to appear as the only explanation of this work. Very often, my own look or my own analysis revealed a different interpretation, questioning me deeply about the artist's real intention.
Is a figurative work necessarily narrative?
There are many important points to consider, such as the complexity of the representation. Figurative art depicts recognizable subjects, the meaning or message of the work can go far beyond the simple visual representation. Viewers may sometimes focus on the literal aspect without grasping the deeper nuances or symbols , or may make the opposite interpretation by creating non-existent symbols.
In the historical and cultural context: a figurative work can be anchored in a specific context that the viewer does not know. Without this knowledge, certain elements or references may be misinterpreted or missed.
In symbolism and metaphors: artists may often use symbols or visual metaphors which may not be immediately understood by all viewers or conversely amplified when the intention was simply an existing observation.
A personal reading of the work
The subjectivity of interpretation: each spectator brings their own experience and biases to the interpretation of a work, which can lead to very different readings of the same piece.
In technique and style: the way in which a work is executed (choice of colors, brushstrokes, composition) can influence the interpretation, but these technical aspects can be overlooked by some viewers.
Before interpreting a figurative work it is important to encourage an open and thoughtful approach to figurative art through different approaches. It seems important to me to have contextual information on the work and the artist, to encourage a view that goes beyond liberal representation, to promote an open discussion on possible interpretations, to educate on artistic techniques and their impact on the message of the work and also admit that a work does not necessarily contain a message to be decoded.
A work can also be the expression of an emotion of the artist linked to a memory, a practice, a place, etc.
Posture and culture
In my journey as an artist, I have some anecdotes on this subject which sometimes leaves a bitter taste when we realize that the interpretation could have taken such a circuitous path. I remember an opinion expressed by a spectator about a work entitled “VILLAGE PAUSE” , which represented three bikers taking a break on the wall of a village and a red hen observing them. The opinion or rather the questioning on the work seemed completely inappropriate to me and I quote here: ”You do an excellent job as always. One question: what kind of chicken is this? Is this an allusion to their machismo? - my response was as follows: “ Thank you for your comment. But I simply prefer to look at a pretty red village hen. (those which sometimes create fear on a motorbike...) ”
They had left early in the morning to reach the mountain pass road. After a few good trajectories, the time had come to take a break and calmly analyze the rest of the course. Sitting all three on a stone bench in the heart of a village, Momo the elegant launched as usual into one of those technical monologues of which he had the secret and which he always mimed with forceful gestures typical of motorcycle enthusiasts . His two friends were listening attentively, when a clearly intrigued red hen also came to attend this impromptu conference.
The work that I had undertaken was simply the result of a memory of a trip on classic motorcycles in which one of us had almost fallen due to the unexpected crossing of a red hen in the wild. This work in no way included the slightest allusion to machismo and only wished to maintain an emotional version of a motorcycle circuit based on the succession of turns and accelerations specific to these motorized rides.
An ideological look
My figurative work, which comes from my training as an architect and which takes a poetic look at human posture, is therefore a subject of interpretation. However aware of this cerebral dimension, my research fundamentally based on sketching has also become the expression of my style which suits me to call “contemporary figurative artist of the narrative type”. Each of my works is accompanied by a descriptive text of approximately 600 characters which summarizes the intention of the work viewed.
Ultimately, the richness of figurative art often lies in its ability to provoke various interpretations, even if this can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. The important thing is to encourage open dialogue and a deep appreciation of the work.
A work of composition, this painting presents a young woman seated on a sofa in a relaxed pose, absorbed by the words of the book which she holds in a hand with painted nails. Its flowing, luminous scarlet dress is at the center of a decor where leaves and stones create a link between the interior and the exterior, suggesting a fusion between the world of reading and that of nature. The glass of grenadine and the bowl of pistachios evoke a summer scene where landscape, culture and introspection meet harmoniously.
