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Much good art got made while money ruled; I like a lot of it, and hardship and poverty aren't virtues. The good news is that, since almost no one will be selling art, artists - especially emerging ones - won't have to think about turning out a consistent style or creating a brand. They'll be able to experiment as much as they want.
Jerry Saltz
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Artists can thrive creatively without the constraints of commercial success.

In this quote, Jerry Saltz expresses the idea that while money has historically influenced art, true creativity flourishes in the absence of financial pressures. He suggests that emerging artists can take advantage of this freedom to explore and experiment without the need to conform to market demands or create a cohesive brand, allowing for authentic and innovative artistic expression.

Themes

ArtCreativityFreedomExperimentationEmerging Artists

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be shared at an art school graduation to encourage new graduates to embrace their creative freedom.

More from Jerry Saltz

'Untitled' is a time machine that can transport you to 1992, an edgy moment when the art world was crumbling, money was scarce, and artists like Tiravanija were in the nascent stages of combining Happenings, performance art, John Cage, Joseph Beuys, and the do-it-yourself ethos of punk. Meanwhile, a new art world was coming into being.
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Artists working for other artists is all about knowing, learning, unlearning, initiating long-term artistic dialogues, making connections, creating covens, and getting temporary shelter from the storm.
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I have a soft spot for art that, in terms of subject matter and material, is in bad taste.
Jerry SaltzRead
The giant white cube is now impeding rather than enhancing the rhythms of art. It preprograms a viewer's journey, shifts the emphasis from process to product, and lacks individuality and openness. It's not that art should be seen only in rutty bombed-out environments, but it should seem alive.
Jerry SaltzRead
In art, scandal is a false narrative, a smoke screen that camouflages rather than reveals. When we don't know what we're seeing, we overreact.
Jerry SaltzRead
I don't often go to curator or artist walk-throughs of exhibitions. For a critic, it feels like cheating. I want to see shows with my own eyes, making my own mistakes, viewing exhibitions the way most of their audience sees them.
Jerry SaltzRead

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