I never quite understand the way society decides who is beautiful and who is not. But an open face and a capacity for kindness always feel like reliable signifiers to me.
Tilda SwintonRead
I believe that all great art holds the power to dissolve things: time, distance, difference, injustice, alienation, despair. I believe that all great art holds the power to mend things: join, comfort, inspire hope in fellowship, reconcile us to our selves. Art is good for my soul precisely because it reminds me that we have souls in the first place.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Great art has the ability to heal and unite people, reminding us of our shared humanity.
In this quote, Tilda Swinton emphasizes the transformative power of art, highlighting how it can break down barriers and address deep emotional and social issues. She suggests that through art, we can find comfort, connection, and a sense of hope, ultimately reminding us of our human essence and the collective experiences that bind us together.
Themes
ArtHealingUnityHumanityInspiration
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community arts programs, one might refer to this quote to emphasize the importance of art in healing societal divides.
More from Tilda Swinton
All quotes →I don't have a career, I have a life. I don't have an exterior judgment on what would be good or bad for me.
Tilda SwintonRead
For a lot of actors, there's a sort of code of honor around playing something other than yourself, which I just don't have. I love feeling like I'm - I won't even say acting out, but performing in some deep seam of my consciousness or my family's consciousness or my past. That's really amusing to me.
Tilda SwintonRead
If we don't accept loneliness, then capitalism wins hands down. Because capitalism is all about trying to convince people that you can distract yourself, that you can make it better. And it ain't true.
Tilda SwintonRead
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Painting is neither decorative amusement, nor the plastic invention of felt reality; it must be every time: invention, discovery, revelation.
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