Prudence

Even when a work or some aspect of a work has a universal meaning, the meaning can be elusive. It is always pleasing and sometimes of great importance to grasp something that is elusive, and so elusiveness is one of the many things for us to value in works of art. But, it, of course, is not the only thing, and I would say it is not the most important.

I believe we have a tendency to overvalue a work in proportion to the elusiveness of the work's meaning. Overvaluing can mean elevating a work from mediocre to good, from good to better, etc. Now, this kind of overvaluing happens for a few different reasons. Imagine yourself in the position of someone who has just managed to lift the (elusive) meaning from an obscure symphony (to get an idea of what I mean by the meaning of a symphony, see Gate to the Mountains and Moments). First, you might be concerned that others will not understand the work and so you promote it so that it will not be forgotten or underappreciated. Second, it would be a shame if you grasped something elusive and no one believed that you did. So, to make sure everyone is aware, you might say how outstanding the work is. This is not as bad as seeing the naked Emperor's new clothes, for the Emperor is wearing clothes in this case, only they are not as interesting as you let on. Finally, you might have a societal motivation for overvaluing the work, for by doing so, you might gain admittance into an exclusive club of sorts that prides itself on understanding the work whereas others do not.

It seems that newer works are more prone to being overvalued for their elusiveness, simply because they tend to depart more from familiar, established norms and hence tend to have more elusive meanings. (What once might have been just as elusive about older works is now more familiar and easier to grasp, for the world has had time to absorb it.) Whether initially overvalued or undervalued, as a work's debut recedes into the past, opinions on the work tend to grow more measured and sober. This is one good reason why the test of time is a good measuring tool for works of art. (The main danger I see in using the test of time is that the present generation might lose sight of the historical context in which a particular work appeared. However, the more timeless a work, the less of a concern this is.)

I believe that any loss of truth and honesty in art is regrettable, such is the importance of art. Let us then be prudent when offering our views. If a work's meaning is elusive, it is fine to say so, and people should appreciate that fact. But, as I have described, elusive is not the same as outstanding or great.