Understanding Works of Art, the Inexpressible, and Teaching: A Philosophical Sketch

Understanding is an elusive and little understood concept yet it is frequently cited as an educational aim. The aim of this paper is to illuminate the nature of understanding in the art education context. This paper explores critically the conceptual background of understanding, drawing on the work of Wittgenstein, to reveal its varied and indeterminate nature and the importance of public criteria in the sharing of understanding. Focusing on art, the paper shows how understanding involves an experiential and imaginative synthesis of a workʹs concepts and features, inexpressible aspects and the viewerʹs subjective contribution. The importance of giving an artwork its due as an artistʹs creative achievement is supported. Notes for teaching response to art are offered in keeping with understandingʹs open texture.