Abstract Author 1

Once the artwork is completed, the subjective intentionality, personal identity, and biography of the artist cease to govern how the work functions in the world. The material artefact thus stands completely on its own terms as an autonomous physical entity, inviting a relatable synthesised experience of the work for the observer from the position of their personal life experiences and perspectives.

This autonomy was noted in a conversation with an anonymous psychologist on September 17, 2026, who instantly recognised the use of Gestalt theory in the polyptych. For them, the physical artwork combined with philosophy allowed us to experience something surprising and unique, whereby for a brief moment, we were able to speak the same language. According to the psychologist, who disclosed their limited knowledge of the creative arts, the underpinning themes of philosophy applied in the conceptualisation of the work “presented the opportunity for us,” the artist and mental health professional, “to arrive at the same point of understanding.”

Contrastingly, when I presented the same work during a group critique, the attending Higher Degree by Research (Fine Art) cohort responded strictly to the ocularcentricity of viewing photographs. In direct opposition to the psychologist's reception, and regardless of the artwork’s sculptural form, the cohort flattened the work into individual records. In doing so, they illuminate two key arguments discussed in this research: first, that their level of visual literacy has yet to develop a broader framework for reading an artwork; and second, that when compared with the mental health professional’s response to the same work, this divergence provides concrete evidence to support the notion of the abstract author, proving that formal art training is not a prerequisite for profound artistic comprehension.