private language – John Allcock

Is there such a thing as “private art”?

09/01/202503/12/2021 by John

I wonder whether it is possible to speak about “private art”. I believe that my doubt is grounded in the argument advanced by Ludwig Wittgenstein against the notion of a “private language” By definition a “language” involves communication, and consequently a system of signs that meant something only to one person couldn’t be regarded as … Read more

The public and the private in art

09/01/202524/07/2019 by John

Not infrequently people commenting on my painting have remarked that viewers of it experience a difficulty because a great deal of it addresses private concerns, and has to do with symbols and associations that might have a rather personal meaning. I have to plead guilty to that, although I hope that with a little thought … Read more