Art Quotes

“It's important to debunk the myths of Africa being this benighted continent civilized only when white people arrived. In fact, Africans had been creators of culture for thousands of years before. These were very intelligent, subtle and sophisticated people, with organized societies and great art.”

-- Henry Louis Gates

“Artists themselves are not confined, but their output is.”

-- Robert Smithson

“The contemporary thing in art and literature is the thing which doesn't make enough difference to the people of that generation so that they can accept it or reject it.”

-- Gertrude Stein

“Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Good art provides people with a vocabulary about things they can't articulate.”

-- Mos Def

“Megacollectors suppose they can enter art history by spending astronomical amounts.”

-- Jerry Saltz

“The reason the art world doesn't respond to Kinkade is because none - not one - of his ideas about subject-matter, surface, color, composition, touch, scale, form, or skill is remotely original. They're all cliche and already told.”

-- Jerry Saltz

“Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art.”

-- Constantin Stanislavski

“Music happens to be an art form that transcends language.”

-- Herbie Hancock

“Art must take reality by surprise.”

-- Francoise Sagan