European International Journal of Philological Sciences
01
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijps
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
1-4
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SUBMITED
03 January 2025
ACCEPTED
02 February 2025
PUBLISHED
01 March 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue03 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Manifestation of Authorial
Evidentiality in Modern
Artistic Expression
Agnieszka Kowalska
Department of Philological Science, University of Economics and Human
Sciences, Okopowa 59, 01-043 Warszawa, Poland
Abstract:
This paper explores the concept of authorial
evidentiality in modern artistic discourse, focusing on
how artists convey the sources of their knowledge,
experiences, and influences within their work. Authorial
evidentiality refers to the strategies and techniques
through which creators indicate the origin of their ideas,
whether derived from personal experience, external
sources, or collaborative efforts. In modern artistic
practices, this evidentiality is realized in diverse ways,
from overt statements and references to subtler,
implicit cues embedded in the artwork itself. The study
examines various examples of visual art, literature, and
performance to uncover how authors and artists
negotiate the relationship between their work and its
evidential sources.
Keywords:
Authorial Evidentiality, Modern Art,
Intertextuality,
Artistic
Discourse,
Authorship,
Contemporary Art, Authenticity, Meta-Referential
Techniques, Artistic Process, Cultural Influence.
Introduction:
The notion of authorial evidentiality in
artistic discourse explores how creators communicate
the sources of their ideas, knowledge, and experiences
through their work. Drawing from the concept of
evidentiality in linguistics, where the source of
information (whether it is firsthand, secondhand, or
inferred) is explicitly indicated, in artistic production,
this principle manifests itself through various stylistic
choices, references, and the creative process itself. In
the realm of modern art, evidentiality goes beyond
mere citation or reference
—it includes the artist’s
acknowledgment of the influences, experiences, and
processes that inform the artwork. The realization of
authorial evidentiality within art can shape how the
audience perceives the work and its creator, offering
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insight into the connections between the artist's
intentions and the external sources that contribute to
the final product.
In contemporary art, particularly in the postmodern
era, the boundaries between original creation and
external influence have become increasingly blurred.
Artists no longer operate in isolation but engage with a
vast array of cultural, historical, and personal sources.
This complex network of influences raises important
questions about the nature of authorship: Who owns
the creation? To what extent is the artist responsible
for their own work? What role do external references
and influences play in the creative process? The
realization of authorial evidentiality offers a way to
navigate these questions by illuminating the
connections between the artist's personal experience,
the sources they draw upon, and the wider cultural and
intellectual contexts that shape the work.
This article will examine the ways in which evidentiality
is realized in modern artistic discourse across different
forms of art, including visual art, literature, and
performance. The concept of authorial evidentiality is
approached as a form of self-reflection in which the
artist actively signals or acknowledges the sources of
their knowledge and influences, often as a means to
challenge or question traditional notions of
authorship. By engaging with various forms of modern
artistic expression, the study aims to highlight how the
concept of evidentiality is employed by artists to
convey not only the origin of their ideas but also the
complexities of creation in the contemporary era.
The primary objectives of this study are to:
1.
Explore how authorship is negotiated in
modern artistic discourse through the use of
evidentiality.
2.
Identify the various strategies artists use to
signal the source of their knowledge, including explicit
references, intertextuality, materiality, and the
process of creation itself.
3.
Analyze the implications of these strategies on
the audience's understanding of the work and its
broader cultural context.
By delving into the realization of authorial
evidentiality, this article contributes to a broader
understanding of how modern artists engage with
their influences, negotiate their role as creators, and
create art that reflects both their personal experiences
and the interconnectedness of the broader cultural
landscape. Ultimately, the exploration of evidentiality
in art challenges the conventional model of individual
authorship and encourages an understanding of art as
a dynamic and multifaceted dialogue between the
artist, their work, and the world.
In contemporary art, the notion of authorship has
become increasingly complex. As artists and creators
engage with multiple sources
—
cultural, historical,
personal, and collaborative
—
the way they present their
relationship to these sources has evolved. Authorial
evidentiality, a concept rooted in linguistic theory,
refers to the ways in which individuals signal the origins
of their knowledge or information. While evidentiality is
a linguistic feature in many languages, indicating the
source of information or knowledge (whether firsthand
or secondhand), in artistic discourse, this concept
manifests itself through stylistic choices, references,
and layers of meaning within the work.
In visual art, literature, and performance, authorial
evidentiality serves as a mechanism for reflecting on the
act of creation, acknowledging influences, and
contextualizing the work. The realization of authorial
evidentiality in modern artistic discourse allows for a
nuanced exploration of creativity, memory, and
authenticity. This article will examine how evidentiality
functions across different art forms, focusing on how
modern artists make evident the sources and processes
behind their creative endeavors.
METHODS
This study adopts a qualitative research methodology,
drawing on close analysis of various modern artworks,
literary texts, and performance pieces. The research
involves two primary strategies:
1.
Textual and Visual Analysis: The first approach
focuses on analyzing visual art, literature, and
performance works to identify how authors and artists
reveal the sources of their ideas. This analysis examines
explicit references, intertextuality, citations, visual
motifs, and the materiality of the artwork itself, all of
which contribute to the realization of authorial
evidentiality.
2.
Interviews and Artist Statements: The second
approach involves analyzing artist statements and
interviews, wherein creators often discuss their
influences, motivations, and sources of inspiration.
These statements serve as direct insights into how the
concept of evidentiality is articulated by artists
themselves.
This
approach
allows
for
a
comprehensive
understanding of the ways in which evidentiality is
realized in modern artistic production, as well as the
implications this has for the audience's interpretation of
the work.
RESULTS
The analysis reveals several key strategies through
which authorial evidentiality is realized in modern
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artistic discourse. These strategies vary across
different art forms but share common threads in their
approach to signaling the source of knowledge and
influence.
1.
Intertextuality and Referencing: In modern
visual art and literature, intertextuality is a prominent
means of conveying authorial evidentiality. By
referencing other works of art, literature, or historical
events, artists and writers make explicit the sources
from which their ideas are drawn. This can take the
form of direct quotes, allusions, or visual re-
interpretations. For instance, in literature, postmodern
writers often utilize fragmented narratives or re-
imaginings of classic texts, thereby acknowledging the
textual origins of their own work. In visual art, artists
like Marcel Duchamp and Cindy Sherman re-
contextualize existing images or symbols to comment
on the nature of authorship and representation.
2.
Meta-Referential Techniques: Another key
technique is the use of meta-referential elements,
where the artwork itself becomes a reflection on its
own creation. This is evident in works that blur the
lines between the artist's intention and the viewer’s
interpretation. For example, in performance art, artists
like Marina Abramović often incorporate their own
personal experiences and bodily actions into the work,
creating a direct link between the artist's div (as
evidence of their presence) and the audience's
understanding of the artwork. The evidence of the
artist’s presence, emotions, and history becomes an
integral part of the work’s meaning.
3.
Materiality
and
Process:
In
some
contemporary art practices, the process of creation
itself is made visible as a form of authorial
evidentiality. By emphasizing the materiality of their
medium or showcasing the process behind the work,
artists communicate the origins of their ideas through
the very form of the artwork. This can be seen in works
where the artist leaves traces of their actions or
decisions, such as in Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings or
in the participatory works of artists like Olafur Eliasson.
The visible process becomes part of the work's
narrative and signifies that the creation is grounded in
the artist’s tangible experience and knowledge.
4.
Authenticity and Subjectivity: Many modern
artists engage with the concept of authenticity,
presenting their personal experiences as a source of
knowledge and inspiration. This is especially prevalent
in autobiographical art, where the artist’s life and
perspective are foregrounded. For instance, Frida
Kahlo’s work often draws on her personal suffering and
cultural identity, which she consciously embeds into
her paintings. The explicit acknowledgment of the
artist's subjectivity reinforces the notion of evidentiality
by demonstrating that the artwork is a product of the
artist’s personal knowledge and experience.
DISCUSSION
The realization of authorial evidentiality in modern
artistic discourse reflects broader cultural and
philosophical shifts in the understanding of authorship
and creativity. In traditional artistic paradigms, the artist
was often seen as a solitary genius, with little explicit
acknowledgment of external influences. However, in
the modern era, there is a growing recognition of the
interconnectedness of creative works and the influence
of multiple sources.
The use of intertextuality and meta-referential
techniques underscores the idea that all artistic creation
is inherently dependent on prior knowledge, cultural
contexts, and historical influences. By making these
connections explicit, artists not only reveal the sources
of their creativity but also challenge the traditional
notion of originality. In postmodern art, the focus is
often on the deconstruction of the idea of an
autonomous artist, highlighting how every work of art is
part of a larger network of meanings and references.
Furthermore, the emphasis on process and materiality
serves to destabilize the finality of the artwork,
suggesting that meaning is not fixed but rather emerges
through ongoing interaction between the artist, the
medium, and the viewer. The visible traces of the artist’s
labor and choices become an important part of the
artwork’s identity, making the creation itself a form of
evidence that speaks to the artist's engagement with
their medium and their world.
The exploration of subjectivity and authenticity in
modern art also aligns with contemporary theories of
identity and representation. As artists increasingly
reflect on their personal experiences and cultural
backgrounds, they contribute to a broader discourse on
the politics of representation, identity, and memory.
These works invite viewers to consider the ways in
which their own interpretations of art are shaped by
their own experiences and knowledge.
CONCLUSION
The realization of authorial evidentiality in modern
artistic discourse plays a crucial role in shaping our
understanding of creativity and authorship in the
contemporary era. Through intertextuality, meta-
referential techniques, the materiality of the creative
process, and an emphasis on authenticity, modern
artists engage in a complex negotiation between their
personal experiences and the larger cultural and
historical context. This awareness of evidentiality allows
for a deeper appreciation of the interconnections
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between art and knowledge, and it challenges
traditional notions of artistic originality. Ultimately, the
realization of authorial evidentiality in modern art
reflects a broader shift toward a more collaborative
and context-dependent understanding of creativity.
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