In the theatre we reach out and touch the past through literature, history and memory so that we might receive and relive significant and relevant human qualities in the present and then pass them on to future generations.
Anne BogartRead
Art is violent. To be decisive is violent. ... To place a chair at a partial angle on the stage destroys every other possible choice, every other option.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art involves making decisive choices that eliminate other possibilities.
In this quote, Anne Bogart suggests that the act of creating art is inherently violent because it requires making definitive decisions. When an artist makes a choice, such as placing a chair at a specific angle, it limits the potential alternative expressions and directions the art could take. This intentionality not only shapes the work but also underscores the power of choice in art and the inherent destruction of possibilities that comes with it.
Themes
ArtCreationDecisionsChoiceExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the power of artistic choices, one might use this quote to emphasize the significance of decision-making in the creative process.
More from Anne Bogart
All quotes →Do not wait for enough time or money to accomplish what you think you have in mind. Work with what you have right now. Work with the people around you right now…. Do not wait for what you assume is the appropriate, stress-free environment in which to generate expression…. Do not wait till you are sure that you know what you are doing…. What you do now, what you make of your present circumstances, will determine the quality and scope of your future endeavors.
Anne BogartRead
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