A work of art when placed in a gallery loses its charge, and becomes a portable object or surface disengaged from the outside world.
Robert SmithsonRead
When a finished work of 20th century sculpture is placed in an 18th century garden, it is absorbed by the ideal representation of the past, thus reinforcing political and social values that are no longer with us
Interpretation
What this quote means
The juxtaposition of modern art in historical contexts alters its perception and cultural significance.
This quote highlights the relationship between art and its environment, suggesting that when contemporary sculptures are situated in historical settings, they are influenced by the existing cultural and political ideals of the past. This interplay not only transforms the way the modern work is perceived but also calls attention to the values and aesthetics of the era it inhabits, ultimately reflecting changes in societal norms and beliefs over time.
Themes
ArtSculptureHistoryCultureValues
In practice
Example use cases
During an art exhibition, one might use this quote to discuss the impact of historical context on modern art.
More from Robert Smithson
All quotes →Instead of causing us to remember the past like the old monuments, the new monuments seem to cause us to forget the future
Robert SmithsonRead
The slurbs, urban sprawl, and the infinite number, of housing developments of the postwar boom have contributed to the architecture of entropy.
Robert SmithsonRead
A vacant white room with lights is still a submission to the neutral. Works of art seen in such spaces seem to be going through a kind of esthetic convalescence.
Robert SmithsonRead
Similar quotes
Write because you love the art and the discipline, not because you're looking to sell something.
Ann PatchettRead
Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies!
Stephen SondheimRead
Poetry consists in a rhyming dictionary and things seen.
Gertrude SteinRead
I treat auditions like I treated my first dates. It's an opportunity to get to know a stranger and to learn from each other.
Hugh JackmanRead
It’s a curious thing. I suppose most people think of artists as impatient but I don’t know of any first-rate artist who hasn’t manifested in his career an appalling patience, a willingness to wait and to do his best now in the expectation that next year he will do better.
Mark Van DorenRead
Rather than a teaching tool, I think a novel is more of a witnessing entity. A witnessing entity? What is that? I just want the reader to step in and experience it as a story.
Lorrie MooreRead