A man climbs a mountain because it is there. An artist makes a work of art because it is not there.
Carl AndreRead
Every time you work, you have to do it all over again, to rid yourself of this dross. I suppose for a person who is not an artist or not attempting art, it is not dross, because it is the common exchange of everyday life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the relentless effort artists must invest in their work to achieve purity and quality, distinguishing it from mundane tasks in everyday life.
Carl Andre highlights the continuous struggle artists face in their creative process, suggesting that each attempt is fraught with the need to eliminate unnecessary elements ('dross') that detract from the true essence of their art. For those not engaged in art, these everyday activities may seem valuable, but for an artist, there is a constant pursuit of clarity and meaning that requires repeated effort and self-assessment.
Themes
ArtCreativityEffortStruggleProcess
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the creative process during an art class.
More from Carl Andre
All quotes →My art will reflect not necessarily conscious politics but the unanalysed politics of my life.
Carl AndreRead
My art springs from my desire to have things in the world which would otherwise never be there.
Carl AndreRead
Similar quotes
I always give the example, if you turn on the radio today, black radio, Lenny Kravitz is not black. Bob Marley wasn't black: in the beginning, only white college stations played Bob Marley.
Spike LeeRead
True beauty is something that attacks, overpowers, robs, and finally destroys.
Yukio MishimaRead
A story was a form of telepathy. By means of inking symbols onto a page, she was able to send thoughts and feelings from her mind to her reader's. It was a magical process, so commonplace that no one stopped to wonder at it.
Ian McewanRead
Painting doesn't freeze time. It circulates and recycles time like a wheel that turns. Those who were first might well be last. Painting is a very slow art. It doesn't travel with the speed of light. That's why dead painters shine so bright.
Marlene DumasRead
No art or learning is to be pursued halfheartedly...and any art worth learning will certainly reward more or less generously the effort made to study it.
Murasaki ShikibuRead
The main thing is dancing, and before it withers away from my body, I will keep dancing till the last moment, the last drop.
Rudolf NureyevRead