Why do dentists make so much money?

Rick Politician
Christian Stuart
English 131
June 8, 2005
SA2.2: Whistler’s Mother: Interpretations to the Tune of the Art Critic
The reproduction of art through electronic images and paper copy has developed art imagery into a powerful language.  Images can be used to communicate messages or create a desired effect in a specific audience.  Art critics, for instance, present an image of an artwork in book or article.  As they elaborate on an art piece, the critics have the opportunity to replace the history surrounding the painting with their own interpretation that fulfills their own prerogative.  The art piece itself becomes imprisoned by the opinions of the art critic. This is because the opinions of the critics shape the interpretations of the general public of art appreciators.  The critics’ opinions become prison walls that confine the art appreciators’ individual interpretations.
We can see the confining effects of art critics’ opinions by comparing their views on James McNeill Whistler’s painting, “Arrangement in Grey and Black, No.1” with that of my university English class’s interpretations of the same painting.  The title shown above the image of the painting provided to us was not Arrangement, but instead another title, “Whistler’s Mother.”  “Whistler’s Mother” is the informal, abbreviated version of the title “Portrait of an Artist’s Mother” that was given to the painting by the viewing audience in the Victorian Era.  Some Victorians did not appreciate the implicit statement implied by Whistler with his Arrangement title.  They felt Arrangement implied that values of composition and color are just as, or more, important than family values (Wikipedia).  The title “Whistler’s Mother” has become a commonly accepted name for the painting.  No longer are interpreters free to interpret just the image of the painting itself.  Now, the interpreters who see the “Whistler’s Mother” title are guided into focusing on the mother of Whister as the central point of the painting, instead of the composition of shapes as it seems Whistler had originally intended.
            Most of my English class was unfamiliar with the Whistler and had little prior knowledge regarding the painting, besides knowing the title and author’s last name.  For most of the students, this was the only information of influence.  The interpretations of the English class seem to elucidate the wide range of views that people can have about a painting when they are free of the confines constructed by art critics.  Classmates seemed to connect the painting with early American “Puritans” and modern American “Amish.”  The confining dress, simple colors, stiff posture and expressionless face of the woman were related to solemnity and religious devoutness by some members of the class.  Other found the painting “Creepy.”  The painting seemed ominously “quiet,” and even reminded one student of the horror film The Ring.  “Sadness,” “depression,” “boredom,” “innocence,” and “death” were other terms the class used to describe the emotions of the woman in the painting.  The contrast between colors was mentioned numerous times as well.  “The grey background sharply contrasts the black dress of the woman in the foreground.”
 The English class produced diverse explanations of the painting, highlighting a wide array of characteristics about color, historical reference and emotion.  Nevertheless, most of the content presented by the class focused on, or developed from, Whistler’s mother.  The woman was the focal point of the painting from the class’s point of view.  The title presented to the class, “Whistler’s Mother,” seemed to have funneled the class’s interpretation towards the woman and away from any the other aspects of the painting.  The title attached to the painting by the critics of the Victorian Era imprisoned our interpretations.  Critic’s opinions restricted the freedom and breadth of interpretation available to interpreters.  This narrowing of interpretation reduces creativity and induces conformity.