When you stop doing something, it doesn't mean you are rejecting the previous work. That's the mistake; it's not rejecting it, it's saying, 'I have exploited it enough now and I wish to take a look at another corner.'
Who would have thought that the telephone would bring back drawing?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote implies that technology, like the telephone, can inspire creativity and reawaken traditional artistic practices.
David Hockney's quote reflects on the unexpected ways in which technology can influence art. He suggests that innovations such as the telephone, while primarily a communications tool, can also serve to revive older art forms, such as drawing, by allowing artists to connect, share, and inspire one another. This illustrates how different mediums and tools can contribute to the evolution and resurgence of artistic expression.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class to encourage students to explore how modern tools can inspire traditional art forms.
More from David Hockney
All quotes βI'm interested in all kinds of pictures, however they are made, with cameras, with paint brushes, with computers, with anything.
I've always wanted to be able to paint the dawn.
My only worry is the painting I'm doing. Nothing else.
In fact, most artists want to make things a bit more difficult for themselves as they go along, to challenge themselves.
I can get excitement watching rain on a puddle. And then I paint it. Now, I admit, there are not too many people who would find that exciting. But I would. And I want life thrilling and rich. And it is. I make sure it is.
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The act of creation is a kind of ritual. The origins of art and human existence lie hidden in this mystery of creation. Human creativity reaffirms and mystifies the power of 'life.
I love movies, but sometimes I think it's better for actresses not to be total cinephiles. You have to be able to do the work at some point; you can't be totally starstruck. 'I can't believe it's Woody Allen!' You have to get past that.
I think that when we look at something that's well acted and a story that's well told, it allows us to be a mirror of who we are as human beings and as a culture, and offers a glimpse of where we're headed.
For me, a page of good prose is where one hears the rain and the noise of battle. It has the power to give grief or universality that lends it a youthful beauty.