The Gallery

“[I]nterpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art… By reducing the work of art to its content and then interpreting that, one tames the work of art. Interpretation makes the art manageable, comfortable” (Sontag 7-8).

This project demonstrates how interpretations are more reduced, simplified versions of the art. We took the aspects of each piece that we deemed most important or relevant and broke it down to just that, or in some instances broke it down to just the title. In general, the act of choosing what is significant and holds a deeper meaning within a piece, reduces the meaning of the artwork as a whole, because rather than appreciating it for what it is, we make an attempt to intellectualize it and make it smaller and more understandable for ourselves which is not what art is meant for.

Credits:

Design Lead/Developer - Ping Sanguanshua

Art/Planning - Alexe Butler, Julia Crafton, Kane Echols, Madeline Monzel, Sebastian Oseguera, Jayden Yoon

Writing - Madeline Monzel

Works Cited

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. 1503-1506. Oil on wood. Louvre, Paris.

Gogh, Vincent van. “Vincent van Gogh, ‘Sunflowers’, 1888.” Vincent van Gogh | Sunflowers | NG3863 | National Gallery, London, 1 Jan. 1888, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/vincent-van-gogh-sunflowers.  

“Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Mauritshuis, www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/670-girl-with-a-pearl-earring. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025. 

Klimt, Gustav. The Kiss. Österreichische Galerie in Belvedere, Vienna, Austria. 1907.

Leo, Sire. “Water Lilies, 1916 - 1919 - Claude Monet.” SIRIS Wood Optic, SIRIS wood optic, 5 Aug. 2024, www.sireseyewear.com/blogs/monet-studies/water-lilies-1916-1919-claude-monet.  

Munch, Edvard. The Scream, 1893. Oil, pastel, and casein on cardboard. National Gallery, Oslo

Sontag, Susan. Against Interpretation, and Other Essays. Octagon Books, 1978.

Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Museum  of Modern Art, New York, www.moma.org/collection/works/79802.