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I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.
Pauline Kael
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the crucial role of artists in shaping culture and the importance of allowing them creative freedom.

Pauline Kael's quote highlights the significant impact that artists have on society and the future of civilization. She argues that for art to thrive and contribute meaningfully to culture, society must grant artists the freedom to express their visions without constraint, as this creative freedom is essential for the nourishment of cultural roots and the advancement of collective consciousness.

Themes

ArtistArtFreedomCultureVision

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech on the significance of culture, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of supporting artists.

More from Pauline Kael

The romance of movies is not just in those stories and those people on the screen but in the adolescent dream of meeting others who feel as you do about what you’ve seen.
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The worst thing about movie-making is that it's like life: nobody can go back to correct the mistakes.
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It seems likely that many of the young who don't wait for others to call them artists, but simply announce that they are, don't have the patience to make art.
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Imagining [The Wizard of Oz] without Judy Garland is a bit like dancing on wet cement: you can do it, but why would you want to?
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What this generation was bred to at television's knees was not wisdom, but cynicism.
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