A man climbs a mountain because it is there. An artist makes a work of art because it is not there.
My art will reflect not necessarily conscious politics but the unanalysed politics of my life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that the artist's personal experiences and unconscious beliefs will influence their art more than deliberate political statements.
Carl Andre expresses the idea that his artwork will naturally embody the political influences within his life, even if they are not consciously intended. This reflects the notion that an artist's background, beliefs, and experiences will inherently shape their creations, whether or not they set out to make a political statement. Thus, the politics of life are often more complex and nuanced than what is overtly acknowledged or articulated in art.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class to discuss how personal experiences influence artistic expression.
More from Carl Andre
All quotes βEvery time you work, you have to do it all over again, to rid yourself of this dross. I suppose for a person who is not an artist or not attempting art, it is not dross, because it is the common exchange of everyday life.
My art springs from my desire to have things in the world which would otherwise never be there.
Similar quotes
The challenge is to keep up with all the new poets at the same time I love the old ones.
I believe black characters in fiction are still revolutionary, given our long history of erasure.
Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation.
For a writer, you definitely do not want to be in the mainstream. You want to be on the edge because that's where the vantage point is. That's where you can see.
A good poet's made as well as born.
People ask me, 'Why are you still writing books?' Like I'm still only writing to make money and as soon as I have enough I'll quit and go fishing? I like to write books. It's the most satisfying thing I do.