Is Author/Artist intent important?

[Buck Testa 5,505]

One thing that goes on with fandoms in general is how far should one go with interpretations of the show and if the original intent should be taken into account. I would argue that Author intent is not as important as the interpretations are.

 

What do I mean by that? Well lets take Batman as an example. This is Batman as the original creator of the show intended on him being

 

 

 

No, I'm not joking. That is the original concept of Bat-man. He's barely recognizable from what we know of Batman today. If this was the only version of Batman that was ever allowed to be told, it simply would not of gained the traction it did. Batman Changed, it was reinterpreted, it was molded and crafted until it became the pure icon we know today. A lot of the people who crafted his modern day image were fans of Batman when they were younger, and they took the concepts, the headcanons, the themes they imagined for that character and reinvented him in their image. 

 

 

 

All of these became valid versions of the Batman because over time the thoughts and interpretations of the character were translated into official material over time. 

 

My little pony is the same way. Generation 4 would never of happened if The original version and intent was the only thing that was allowed to exist. Because of the way it influenced artists and free thinkers, it cemented itself into the culture via transforming with the times. 

 

This is why I say that the original intent of a piece of art/Fiction doesn't really matter in the long run, because its what the people who consume the art DO with it that makes it truly valuable to the culture. 

 

What are your thoughts on this? 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,732]

I am with you on this. What an artist intends isn't all that important, it is about what they create. Focusing too much on whatever intention an artist has almost makes it a sort of political thing. We would be too busy debating what the art means and why it is exists rather than appreciating the art itself. For the most part, I prefer to just appreciate the art rather than question the motive of the one who created it. 

[King 5,625]

If Im answering the topic title, than yes, author/artist intent is important so as not to lose sight of the bigger picture. That's not to say its more important than interpretation because intent isn't an infinite pool of possibilities like interpretation is. That being said, interpretation can get a bit extreme when people start seeing conspiracies in the little gold star at the top left of a picture of a night sky.

[Idris 241]

Author-Intent is like grabbing smoke. It's one of the reasons I try to reply to comments on my stories and the audio books of them. Not to be needy, but more to try and put my perspective over to the questioning. (not trolls). Because I'm not always sure of the plot points completely, but anything I do understand I am willing to pass on. After all, when you read/listen to something, that work is nothing but your own interpretation of it until you discuss it with someone else

The same goes for narration. It's an art work in its own right. Very often I am blown away by what folk bring to my words with their interpretation of my intent.

[EpicEnergy 23,224]

I personally think it is subjective - it can be important to one person and not important to another, with both people being right.

[TBD 17,256]

I think artists whatever they might be does have intentions to imply what they mean and how. Intentions are important because it comes from an artist’s inspiration and motivation. What they created can be interpreted in many ways from its audiences. Just as long it doesn’t stray away from the artist true intentions. If it does and some people actually does this, is when they claim this or that like speaking for the artist per se (when they shouldn’t) then an artist has the right to speak up to clear up the confusion. As an artist myself, i don’t care how people interpret my work but if it’s going completely the opposite of my initial intentions then I’d speak up. I won’t appreciate if someone was speaking for my work.