nonintentionalist

A nonintentionalist is a term used primarily in art criticism and interpretation to describe an approach that does not prioritize or rely on the artist's intended meaning or biography when analyzing a work. This perspective suggests that the meaning of an artwork is not solely determined by what the creator had in mind during its creation. Instead, nonintentionalism often emphasizes the viewer's experience, the artwork's formal qualities, its historical context, or its reception by audiences over time.

This viewpoint can encompass various critical theories. For example, structuralism and post-structuralism, particularly through figures like Roland Barthes and his concept of "the death of the author," argue that once a work is released, it becomes independent of its author's intentions. The meaning is then constructed through the interaction of the text (or artwork) and the reader (or viewer), influenced by their own cultural, social, and personal backgrounds.

Nonintentionalism also contrasts with biographical or intentionalist criticism, which seeks to understand an artwork by examining the artist's life, statements, and presumed motivations. While intentionalist approaches might ask "What did the artist mean to say?", nonintentionalist approaches are more likely to ask "What does this artwork do?" or "How does this artwork function for the viewer?". This does not necessarily deny that artists have intentions, but rather posits that these intentions are not the ultimate or only source of meaning, and can even be unknowable or irrelevant to the artwork's impact and interpretation.