QuoteProject
There is no art without intention.
Duke Ellington
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Art requires a purposeful intent behind its creation.

Duke Ellington's quote emphasizes the idea that true art cannot be created without a deliberate intention from the artist. It suggests that art is not just a product of random chance or mere technique; rather, it is a reflection of the creator’s inner purpose, thoughts, and feelings, making intention a crucial component of artistic expression.

Themes

ArtIntentionCreativityExpressionPurpose

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about what makes a painting profound, one might quote Duke Ellington to emphasize the need for intention.

More from Duke Ellington

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Duke EllingtonRead
Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
Duke EllingtonRead
Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
Duke EllingtonRead
Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
Duke EllingtonRead
Jazz is a good barometer of freedom.
Duke EllingtonRead

Similar quotes

The water crumbles on it's way down as my hands and feet push me forward. The world is lightening, taking shape, and turning to color. It feels like it's being painted around me.
Markus ZusakRead
An actor entering through the door, you've got nothing. But if he enters through the window, you've got a situation.
Billy WilderRead
I talk about the gods, I am an atheist. But I am an artist too, and therefore a liar. Distrust everything I say. I am telling the truth.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Perspective is a most subtle discovery in mathematical studies, for by means of lines it causes to appear distant that which is near, and large that which is small.
Leonardo Da VinciRead
The moment we cry in a film is not when things are sad but when they turn out to be more beautiful than we expected them to be.
Alain De BottonRead
Blue is the male principle, stern and spiritual. Yellow the female principle, gentle, cheerful and sensual. Red is matter, brutal and heavy and always the colour which must be fought and vanquished by the other two.
Franz MarcRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.