Before or After

Why an artists does one thing or another in art often is conceptual, although not necessarily sequentially coherent or recognizably coherent concepts. "Intuitive" decisions are often grounded in learned, ingrained concepts, even if indirectly. Decisions can be in line or at odds with each other, the range of synchronicity or diversion contributes to the artist's inner dialogue with the work and the dialogue between the artists and viewer.

But does the artist want to be, and should the art be, evaluated on conceptual grounds, or instead on the impact of the work, which may differ in projected meaning from the conceptual decisions that informed and shaped the work? Before/during the fact or after the fact? How many artists are honest about their before the fact intentions, and how many more likely characterize hindsight observation as prior intention?

I'll start out with initial intentions that observation of the work (and of my other prior work) changes in the making. In this way, I suppose I discover the work. The beginning and the end are never completely in sync.