Abstract

"Presence" is a word that can function both as a descriptor of the uniqueness, identity, and strength of an(y) identifiable, individual work of art (as used in the phrase, its "artistic presence") and, more specifically, and with a capital P, the name of a year-long exhibit consisting of a series of artworks in a uniquely created architectural environment with the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, as well-known art theorist Donald Preziosi points out in his 2004 essay ["Art and the Contemplation off Presence"] included in this publication, the term "presence" may also refer to the character of the artist that is embodied _in_ a physical work of art, whereby the _form_ of the work is "in some way a _figure_ of its truth--the truth or essence or being of the artist..." Indeed I would suggest an even stronger defense of the artist, what I call the Intentionality Thesis, which states: _The most important spokesperson capable of elucidating the meaning of a work of art is the artist_. The Intentionality Thesis is a substantive component of my recommendation for art viewers to practice what I call "contemplative contextual criticism" (CCC, for short). Such an emphasis on intentionality is often fraught with controversy, but the Intentionality Thesis can function (within the broader framework of one's CCC) as a fruitful interpretive tool that optimizes our actual experiences of art. CCC is the deliberate cognitive analysis--the act of contemplation--of a work of art that enhances the potential of artistic presence; both of the work itself and the artist who created it. It is the process of studying a work of art in its full context...