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What would please me most is to make photographs as incomprehensible as life.
William Klein
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects the desire to create art that captures the complexity and mystery of life.

In this quote, William Klein expresses his aspiration to make photographs that embody the same level of uncertainty and ambiguity that exists in real life. He suggests that art, particularly photography, should not simply present reality in a straightforward manner but instead invite viewers to explore its deeper meanings and complexities, mirroring the often incomprehensible nature of life itself.

Themes

PhotographyLifeArtIncomprehensibleComplexity

In practice

Example use cases

Using this quote in a discussion about the role of ambiguity in modern art.

More from William Klein

When you use film, you use accidents, but there aren't any accidents with digital photography. I don't mind that it's easy. But I do mind that there is a sort of consensus with the camera and the subject and the light, and you look at something, and you photograph it, and you get what you see.
William KleinRead
Memories. That's the thing about photography. I look at the contact sheet, and it brings back everything: whether I was tired, whether I was full of beans.
William KleinRead

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