I remember saying to myself those things are very, very important to hear, but there must be another way to say them so that they will truly be heard. I mean, that's what art is. Art is about being provocative. Art is also about beauty. And if you leave the latter out, the former doesn't matter.
Interpretation
Art serves to provoke thought and convey beauty, making messages more impactful.
In this quote, Nikky Finney reflects on the dual nature of art as a medium that not only provokes thought but also embodies beauty. She suggests that for messages to resonate and be truly understood, they must be communicated in a compelling way, emphasizing that without beauty, the provocative aspect of art loses its significance.
In practice
In an art class, when discussing the importance of conveying emotions through visual media.
I think of guitar players in terms of doctors: you have the doctor for your heart, the cardiologist, then one that works on your feet, your leg. But I believe George Benson is the one that plays all over. To me, he would be the M.D. of them all.
Bad writing is more than a matter of (expletive deleted) syntax and faulty observation; bad writing usually arises from a stubborn refusal to tell stories about what people actually do to face the fact, let us say, that murderers sometimes help old ladies cross the street.
My personal experience has been that in my 25 years of writing, I have not been asked to do more than four or five commercial one-shot scripts. These were performed on major national hook-ups but produced for me no immediate additional jobs or requests. One script for BBC was done around the world with an all-star cast.
Art is a form of supremely delicate awareness and atonement — meaning atoneness, the state of being at one with the object.
Mime makes the invisible, visible and the visible, invisible.
I just assumed the world was full of solo percussionists. I couldn't find sticks or music or anything where I was, but that was expected because there was nothing there anyway. And I think that was possibly the greatest asset for me, just not knowing.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.