My whole life has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against Reaction and the death of art.
Art is never chaste. It ought to be forbidden to ignorant innocents, never allowed into contact with those not sufficiently prepared. Yes, art is dangerous. Where it is chaste, it is not art.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art challenges and provokes thought, and it should be approached with the right understanding and readiness.
In this quote, Pablo Picasso expresses the idea that art is inherently complex and can be provocative or challenging. He argues that art should not be something that is kept pure or innocent; instead, it is meant to evoke strong emotions and reactions. Picasso suggests that those who engage with art should have the maturity and awareness to appreciate and understand its deeper meanings, as true art transcends surface appearances and delves into the profound aspects of human experience. Thus, art's value is often tied to its ability to confront, provoke, and challenge perceived norms and understandings.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about contemporary art, this quote could be used to discuss the role of provocative content in artistic expression.
More from Pablo Picasso
All quotes →Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt.
He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.
You have to have an idea of what you are going to do, but it should be a vague idea.
I paint the way someone bites his fingernails; for me, painting is a bad habit because I don't know nor can I do anything else.
Similar quotes
I have never started a novel - I mean except the first, when I was starting a novel just to start a novel - I've never written one without rereading Victory. It opens up the possibilities of a novel. It makes it seem worth doing.
Avant-garde is French for bullshit
I was a little girl with a pot belly and Afro puffs, hyperactive and overdramatic, and I found the theater and I found my home.
It was thought, perception, sensations that interested her, the conscious mind as a river through time, and how to represent its onward roll, as well as all the tributaries that would swell it, and the obstacles that would divert it. If only she could reproduce the clear light of a summer's morning.
I do not have one theme for each season, I just try to make beautiful clothes all year round.
You I am sure will forgive me for sincerely remarking that you might curb your magnanimity and be more of an artist, and 'load every rift' of your subject with ore.