Against Surface Interpretation

Abstract

The concept of surface interpretation and its distinction from deep interpretation has been put forward by Arthur Danto and elaborated by Peg and Myles Brand. On Danto's view, there is one correct interpretation of an artwork: the one that comes closest to the artist's own interpretation. I reject the theories that there is such a thing as "the" correct artist's or surface interpretation for any one work, and that there are such things as artists' surface interpretations such that they can be clearly distinguished from deep interpretations. Deep interpretations do not interpret surface interpretations; they just interpret the work itself.