A bit of advice, don't copy nature too closely. Art is an abstraction; as you dream amid nature, extrapolate art from it, and concentrate on what you will create as a result.
Paul GauguinRead
Art is either plagiarism or revolution.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art either mimics existing ideas or breaks new ground to create something original.
This quote by Paul Gauguin encapsulates the dual nature of artistic creation, suggesting that all art is derived from prior influences, thus posing the question of originality. It implies that the creative process is either a replication of what has been done before, which can be viewed as plagiarism, or a revolutionary endeavor that challenges conventions and leads to new expressions and ideas.
Themes
ArtPlagiarismRevolutionOriginalityCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In an art class, when discussing the process of creation, this quote can highlight the balance between inspiration and innovation.
More from Paul Gauguin
All quotes →A critic in my house sees some paintings. Greatly perturbed, he asks for my drawings. My drawings? Never! They are my letters, my secrets.
Paul GauguinRead
A hint - don't paint too much direct from nature. Art is an abstraction! study nature then brood on it and treasure the creation which will result, which is the only way to ascend towards God - to create like our Divine Master.
Paul GauguinRead
Life has no meaning unless one lives it with a will, at least to the limit of one's will. Virtue, good, evil are nothing but words, unless one takes them apart in order to build something with them; they do not win their true meaning until one knows how to apply them.
Paul GauguinRead
The flat sound of my wooden clogs on the cobblestones, deep, hollow and powerful, is the note I seek in my painting.
Paul GauguinRead
Art requires philosophy, just as philosophy requires art. Otherwise, what would become of beauty?
Paul GauguinRead
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