On her blog, Amanda asked: "Wherein lies the art? Is it in the final product, the poem that you write about the painting? Or is it in the initial painting that started the series? Are all the creative works art? And are the emotions evoked from the works that inspired more creativity considered aesthetic emotion, or are the pieces inspired by just the urge to create, and the experience of creation?" (If you're confused about the questions, check out her post here: http://aohappy.blogspot.com/2010/10/just-some-thoughts.html)
In my opinion, every link in the chain is art. Every piece of art has some sort of inspiration. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to create something from nothing. Artists draw from their experiences, including their encounters with other art, and from speculation on those experiences. Although it can be difficult for even the artist to identify it, the initial inspiration is there. The source of that inspiration should not devalue the art.
As for Amanda's second question, I believe that it is the human emotions that the piece invokes that inspires the next creative endeavor. If the painting merely fostered an urge to create, then the next work would not truly be inspired by the painting. The painting would serve only as a catalyst, speeding up the creative process. Yet, if it inspires an emotional reaction, this feeling would spill over into the next piece, creating a common link between the two. The link may not be the same from the first painting to the final poem, but one could still follow the chain.
Does understanding the inspiration behind a piece of art enable our personal interpretations, or confine us to the interpretation of the artist? What do we miss if we know the artist's thoughts before we form our own opinions?
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