I wanted to show the history and strength of all kinds of black women. Working women, country women, urban women, great women in the history of the United States.
Elizabeth CatlettRead
I have always wanted my art to service my people - to reflect us, to relate to us, to stimulate us, to make us aware of our potential. We have to create an art for liberation and for life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the purpose of art as a means of empowerment and awareness for a community.
Elizabeth Catlett's quote expresses the aspiration for art to serve as a mirror for society, reflecting the identity and potential of the people it represents. It underlines the idea that art should not only entertain but also inspire and liberate individuals, urging creators to focus on creating works that foster awareness and improvement of the community's condition.
Themes
ArtEmpowermentCommunityLiberationIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at an art conference about the role of art in society.
More from Elizabeth Catlett
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The thing that influenced me most was the way Tommy played his trombone. It was my idea to make my voice work in the same way as a trombone or violin-not sounding like them, but "playing" the voice like those instrumentalists.
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The art of tomorrow will be a collective treasure, or it will not be art at all.
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We may feel bitterly how little our poems can do in the face of seemingly out-of-control technological power and seemingly limitless corporate greed, yet it has always been true that poetry can break isolation, show us to ourselves when we are outlawed or made invisible, remind us of beauty where no beauty seems possible, remind us of kinship where all is represented as separation.
Adrienne RichRead
The big catalyst was seeing my sister, when I was 11, doing a dramatic recital. When I saw her on the stage and everyone listening to her so patiently, quietly, that's all I wanted: for someone to look at me and listen to me, but in some beautiful and artistic way.
Gene WilderRead