"Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art."

Betye Saar, Amid Hallucinatory Moons1962

Lately I’ve been thinking about personal taste - knowing it, changing it and the extent to which we care about how others view it. In her 1966 essay Against Interpretation, Susan Sontag advocates for a more sensual and immediate appreciation of art rather than an overly analytical and interpretive approach. She argues that the intellectualization of art acts as a sort of violence against the artwork’s intrinsic qualities.

I agree, but what of appreciating, but disliking? Or not appreciating but wanting to?

July Waterfall, Pat Steir 1991