QuoteProject
All art is contemporary art because it had to be made when it was now.
James Turrell
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Art is rooted in its own time; it reflects the current moment of its creation.

This quote by James Turrell emphasizes that all forms of art are fundamentally tied to the moment in which they were created. Each piece emerges from a specific cultural, social, and historical context, thereby marking it as contemporary to that time, regardless of when it is viewed in the future.

Themes

ArtContemporaryCreationMomentTime

In practice

Example use cases

In an art gallery discussion, one might use this quote to illustrate the relevance of historical context in evaluating art.

More from James Turrell

I wanted to deal with light directly rather than with paint.
James TurrellRead
It is only when light is reduced that the pupil opens and feeling goes out of the eyes like touch.
James TurrellRead
I feel that I want to use light as this wonderful and magic elixir that we drink as Vitamin D through the skin - and I mean, we are literally light-eaters - to then affect the way that we see.
James TurrellRead
In many cases, if we knew what it would take, we might have thought twice about it, so it's often wonderful that we don't have hindsight.
James TurrellRead
There are different stages when you fly. The first stage is the dollhouse effect, seeing everything on Earth like it's a model. Suddenly, all of your concerns seem very small.
James TurrellRead
Space has a way of looking. It seems like it has a presence of vision. When you come into it, it is there, it’s been waiting for you.
James TurrellRead

Similar quotes

One of the greatest experiences I ever had was listening to a conversation with Joni Mitchell and Wayne Shorter. Just to hear them talking, my mouth was open. They understand each other perfectly, and they make these leaps and jumps because they don't have to explain anything.
Herbie HancockRead
The informing idea of what you want to say and do, that's what will take you from film school to professional - the idea. That's what is original to you.
William FriedkinRead
Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.
Sol LewittRead
The sun had gone down behind the tall apartments of the movie stars in the West Fifties, and the unclear voices of children, already gathered like crikets on the grass, rose through the hot twilight.
F. Scott FitzgeraldRead
Onstage, you just have to tell the absolute truth about the character you are playing. You hope you communicate it, and you hope it comes back like a tennis ball. If you're listening to the sound of your own voice, nobody else is. The audience knows, and they freeze on you.
Carol ChanningRead
My work has always been about not being conventional and male gaze is convention.
Celine SciammaRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.