You like it, that's all, whether it's a landscape or abstract. You like it. It hits you. You don't have to read it. The work of art-sculpture or painting-forces your eye.
The dissolution of the pictorial into sheer texture, into apparently sheer sensation, into an accumulation of repetitions, seems to speak for and answer something profound in contemporary sensibility.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the transition in art from traditional representation to an emphasis on texture and sensation, resonating with modern sensibilities.
Clement Greenberg's quote explores the evolution of visual art, suggesting that contemporary practices have moved away from representing objects and images towards a focus on the material qualities of the artwork itself. This shift highlights a deeper understanding and appreciation for the sensations and experiences that texture can evoke, indicating a response to the complexities of modern life and sensibility.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on modern art, this quote can be used to illustrate the shift towards abstract expressionism.
More from Clement Greenberg
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In the elder days of art Builders wrought with greatest care Each minute and unseen part, For the Gods are everywhere
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An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world.
Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must ride on its own melting.
I am uncompromising to the point of huge dissension in the studio. And it's served me very well. My theory and my philosophy is, 'Compromise breeds mediocrity.' Obviously, you have to pick your battles, and the more success an artist has, the more they want to be involved in their own career, which is not necessarily a good thing.