The concept that an artist would be revered by popular culture is an immediate dismissal of his relevance as an artist.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.
Being an artist means ceasing to take seriously that very serious person we are when we are not an artist.
An artist is an artist only because of his exquisite sense of beauty, a sense which shows him intoxicating pleasures, but which at the same time implies and contains an equally exquisite sense of all deformities and all disproportion.
The artist never really has any control over the impact of his work. If he starts thinking about the impact of his work, then he becomes a lesser artist.
A true artist is expected to be all that is noble-minded, and this is not altogether a mistake; on the other hand, however, in what a mean way are critics allowed to pounce upon us.
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.
An artist cannot be responsible for what people make of their art. An audience loathe giving up preconceived images of an artist.
I've never understood why artists, who so often condescend to the cliches of their own culture, are so eager to embrace the cliches of cultures they know nothing about.
To retain his dignity, an artist must live in opposition. He must be critical of his country. If not, then he is worthless.
I think the definition of an artist is not necessarily tied into excellence or talent; an artist is somebody who, if you took away their freedom to make art, would lose their mind.