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Quotes about art

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A genuine work of art must mean many things; the truer its art, the more things it will mean.
George MacDonald1824–1905The Fantastic Imagination (1893)
One difference between God’s work and man’s is, that, while God’s work cannot mean more than he meant, man’s must mean more than he meant.
George MacDonald1824–1905The Fantastic Imagination (1893)
- God
The one man who should never attempt an explanation on poetry is its author. If the poem can be improved by its author’s explanations, it never should have been published.
Archibald MacLeish1892–1982
- Poetry
A poem should not mean
But be.
Archibald MacLeish1892–1982“Ars Poetica”, Collected Poems, 1917-1982 (1985)
- Poetry
I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.
Madonnaborn 1958
We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art.
Norman Mailer1923–2007Cannibals and Christians (1966), Introducing our Argument
The final purpose of art is to intensify, even, if necessary, to exacerbate, the moral consciousness of people.
Norman Mailer1923–2007“Hip, Hell, and the Navigator” in Western Review No. 23 (Winter 1959); republished in Conversations with Norman Mailer (1988) edited by J. Michael Lennon.
- Morality
In its relation to the reality of daily life, the high culture of the past was many things⁠—opposition and adornment, outcry and resignation. But it was also the appearance of the realm of freedom: the refusal to behave.
Herbert Marcuse1898–1979One-Dimensional Man (1964), p. 71
- Freedom
A grain of poetry suffices to season a century.
José Martí1853–1895Dedication of the Statue of Liberty (1887)
- Poetry
To be a frontman you have to be half very driven and half a total knob. I like to think I’m both.
Chris Martinborn 1977On a Time Out London interview, June 8-15, 2005.
- Comedy
- Music
I wrote a novel this year called Shop Girl, and several producers came to me and wanted to turn it into a movie. And I said, “If you think you’re going to take this book and change it around, and Hollywoodize it and change the ending…that’s going to cost you.”
Steve Martinborn 1945
- Movies
You know what your problem is? It’s that you haven’t seen enough movies⁠—all of life’s riddles are answered in the movies.
Steve Martinborn 1945
- Movies
Slowly I discovered the secret of my art. It consists of a meditation on nature, on the expression of a dream which is always inspired by reality.
Henri Matisse1869–1954“Interview with Henri Matisse” by Jacques Guenne, L’Art Vivant (15 September 1925), translated by Jack Flam in Matisse on Art (1995)
- Nature
An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythms, by effort that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language.
Henri Matisse1869–1954Letter to Henry Clifford (14 February 1948)
- Nature
I will repeat what I once said to Guillaume Apollinaire: “For my part I have never avoided the influence of others. I would have considered it cowardice and a lack of sincerity toward myself.”
Henri Matisse1869–1954‘Interview with Henri Matisse’ by Jacques Guenne, in ‘L’Art Vivant’ (15 September 1925)