Merleau-Ponty's theory of art, according to Richard Kearney: "Paintings or poems are not just creative expressions for their authors. They also require audiences. The significance of a work of art, consequently, is not something fixed once and for all by the artist or passively consumed by the audience. Each artwork articulates a particular style of expression which opens an horizon of interpretative possibilities for reader or viewer. Put in another way, the meaning of an artistic project is determined as much by the audience's recreation as by the author's original creation."
I have the urge to create, but my creation is not complete unless someone else enjoys it, interprets it, repeats it. Yes, the artist lives for his project, but if there were no one else in the world to see or hear it, would the artist have the creative desire in the first place? I doubt it. We exist in a world of "otherness," where love, happiness, and ultimate fulfillment is found in service and sacrifice–for others. If artistry is one of the highest human pursuits (and I believe it is), it must involve the other and therefore the very artistic act presupposes sharing, displaying, playing, and publishing.
