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TheartistandthecriticarcalikeinfeeUngthatitisnecessarytolook
beyondformformeaning.Thetwoareoften,inreality,one.Onlybyan
activeparticipationintheaesthetictransactioncanthespectatorbecome
himselfapartoftheartist'stotalmaterial.Thisisnotalwaysasimple
thingtodo,butitisnecessaryifwearetoplacetheworkofartsquarely
withintheframeworkofthelifeofwhichitisapart.^VolfgangPaalen
putssomeoftheseideasintochallengingwordswhenhewrites: "There
isnotrueworkofartwithoutadeepmeaningfulness—butmeaningful-
nessneednotmeanstraightforw-ardintelligibility.\\'hyshouldworksofart
beeasytounderstandinaworldinwhichnothingiseasytounderstand?
Paintingsnolongerrepresent;itisnolongerthetaskofarttoanswernaive
questions.Todayithasbecometheroleofpaintingtolookatthespectator
andaskhim:whatdoyoiirepresent?"
AllenS.Weller
