Life is more important than architecture.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
Camus says in 'The Stranger' that reason is the enemy of imagination. Sometimes you have to put reason aside and make something beautiful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Imagination often requires us to set aside logical reasoning to create something beautiful.
In this quote, Oscar Niemeyer reflects on the tension between reason and imagination, suggesting that true artistry and creativity may demand that we temporarily disregard rational thought. Camus' assertion that reason can inhibit the imaginative process serves as a reminder that beauty often emerges from a place of emotional freedom rather than strict logical constraints.
Themes
ImaginationReasonArtCreativityBeauty
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at an art gallery, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of creativity.
More from Oscar Niemeyer
All quotes →I deliberately disregarded the right angle and rationalist architecture designed with ruler and square to boldly enter the world of curves and straight lines offered by reinforced concrete... This deliberate protest arose from the environment in which I lived, with its white beaches, its huge mountains, its old baroque churches, and the beautiful suntanned women.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
We need to feel that life is important; we need that fantasy so we can live a little better.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
Here, then, is what I wanted to tell you of my architecture. I created it with courage and idealism, but also with an awareness of the fact that what is important is life, friends and attempting to make this unjust world a better place in which to live.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
When you have a large space to conquer, the curve is the natural solution.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
I was attracted by the curve — the liberated, sensual curve suggested by the possibilities of new technology yet so often recalled in venerable old baroque churches.
Oscar NiemeyerRead
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