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Art Quotes

Why people make it, and who it's for.

This set of "art" quotes leans toward purpose — one artist frames their work as a way to elevate others, while another argues that art shapes who a person becomes. For quotes on standing out through craft, see Great quotes.

Honestly, I don't believe in menswear. I focus on what pieces are most timeless, transcendent, match my lifestyle, remain remarkable, and command intriguing attention across the room at an art gallery.

Quotes by Janelle Monae

I believe people can have a profound experience by being surrounded by something beautiful - that's what I aim for. My sculpture is about the way you feel when you're standing under it and inside it. It's experiential art.

Quotes by Janet Echelman

The most powerful part of the art is experiential, yet it's the hardest to describe because it's nonverbal.

Quotes by Janet Echelman

In my regular life, I am very involved in commissions for cities and sometimes countries. And I think of public art as a team sport. The outcome is only possible with the interaction of all the players.

Quotes by Janet Echelman

It's good for art to make us think, to give us a shared experience that creates a dialogue, makes us talk to each other, including strangers.

Quotes by Janet Echelman

I never studied sculpture, engineering or architecture. In fact, after college I applied to seven art schools and was rejected by all seven.

Quotes by Janet Echelman

I recognize that it is through the engagement with my craft - by recognizing an idea and drawing it out, building physical models, collaborating with experts, constructing the sculptures at urban scale, and maintaining them through years of weather and...

Quotes by Janet Echelman

I believe only in art and failure.

Quotes by Jane Rule

I had always said to myself that forty was the cut off point of my apprenticeship which may for some people sound like a very long one, but the novel as art is a middle-aged art.

Quotes by Jane Rule

Sinclair Lewis may be ripe for a revival; his books raise several interesting issues of art and fashion.

Quotes by Jane Smiley

All equestrians, if they last long enough, learn that riding in whatever form is a lifelong sport and art, an endeavor that is both familiar and new every time you take the horse out of his stall or pasture.

Quotes by Jane Smiley

I didn't read many comics as a kid - I've always been a really fast reader, and I would fly through a comic book in a few minutes and be so mad that it ended so quickly. But now that...

Quotes by Jane Wiedlin

Readers are always surprised to learn that authors have little or no input regarding the cover art for their books.

Quotes by Jane Lindskold

I was the executive editor on a little magazine called Greek Accent, whose only claim to fame is that its art director went on to be the art director of Discover for many years.

Quotes by Jane Haddam

What we want from art is whatever is missing from the lives we are already living and making. Something is always missing, and so art-making is endless.

Quotes by Jane Hirshfield

There are now college degrees in game design and interactive media, so if I were starting now, I would probably do that. When I started, you had to break into design from QA or programming or art, but it's really...

Quotes by Jane Jensen

The world is not kind to whistleblowers - a term of art with particular resonance in football, the most hierarchical and repressive of organized sports, a world of 'systems' and 'programs' and scripted plays, where reading a medical report requires...

Quotes by Jane Leavy

There was a big drive when I was at art school to make you aware of the economy of meaning - after all, this was still during the tail end of minimalism. Being responsible for everything you put in your...

Quotes by Jane Campion

I did this Super-8 film at art school called 'Tissues,' this black comedy about a family whose father has been arrested for child molestation. I was absolutely thrilled by every inch of it, and would throw my projector in the...

Quotes by Jane Campion

Art is what defines us, what makes us human.

Quotes by Jan Vogler

Frequently Asked Questions

What perspectives on art are covered in this collection?
A few distinct takes - being an artist "to the core" with a goal of elevating humanity, art shaping personal character, and two versions of the idea that film "is not the art of scholars but of illiterates" and should be watched straight on.
Is there a quote about art and personal identity?
Yes, two of them. One speaker calls themselves "an artist to the core," aiming to elevate humanity through their art. Another says their art has had a strong influence on the kind of person they are. For more on personal growth, see the Life page.
Is there a quote specifically about film as art?
Yes - in fact there are two closely related versions of the same idea, both arguing that film "is not the art of scholars but of illiterates" and should be looked at straight on rather than over-analyzed.
Is there anything here about art's broader purpose or ambition?
Yes, one quote frames the speaker's whole objective as using their talents "to elevate humanity through my art" - a big-picture statement about art's purpose. For more ambitious, purpose-driven quotes, check out the Great page.
Where can I read more about how art is perceived or valued?
For a closer look at how art and status intersect, see the Status page. For more general uplifting quotes, the Good page is also worth browsing.

A recurring idea here is that film is not an elite pursuit reserved for scholars, but something meant to be watched plainly and directly. Continue exploring with Good quotes or Life quotes.