QuoteProject
We don't really want to think that the artist is only very skilled, that he has merely devoted his life to perfecting a certain set of intelligible skills.
John Updike
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes that an artist's value goes beyond technical skills; it involves deeper emotional and conceptual engagement.

John Updike’s quote suggests that the perception of an artist should extend beyond just their technical proficiency and dedication to honing certain skills. It implies that true artistry encompasses a deeper emotional and intellectual commitment that resonates with audiences on multiple levels, inviting a richer understanding of the artist's work and intentions.

Themes

ArtistSkillsArtistryCreativityEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared during an art exhibition to encourage viewers to appreciate the deeper emotions behind the artwork.

More from John Updike

If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
John UpdikeRead
Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
John UpdikeRead
But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.
John UpdikeRead
The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
John UpdikeRead
To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
John UpdikeRead

Similar quotes

In my low periods, I wondered what was the point of creating art. For whom? Are we animating God? Are we talking to ourselves? And what was the ultimate goal? To have one's work caged in art's great zoos - the Modern, the Met, the Louvre?
Patti SmithRead
Something happens when you feel that energy and excitement from the audience. And you do, I don't know, four pirouettes. You jump higher than you ever have. And it's just this really magical thing that happens in those moments.
Misty CopelandRead
If a man devotes himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens otherwise if one is idle.
Albrecht DurerRead
Music is nothing else but wild sounds civilised into time and tune.
Thomas FullerRead
It's a very good time for horror. This business certainly has changed, but there's still room for serious horror films. Look at 28 Days Later, that's not a tongue-in-cheek picture.
John CarpenterRead
A man should dress in a way that you don't notice. He looks good and you don't know why. But it's the tailoring, the materials, and the clothes.
Michael CaineRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.