Intentionality, Semiotics and Art Criticism
The question of interpretation of art with regard to the producer's intentions has been the subject of much debate. The traditional, commonsense view that the key to understanding works of art can be located in the intentions of the author, has been critiqued convincingly by authors such as Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault who emphasise the active role of the viewer/reader in creating meaning in visual and written texts. A generalized semiotic view is developed in biosemiotics, which states that intentionality is a criterial feature of life, thus interpreting the organic needs to be the primary form of intentions.
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