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What we need more of is slow art: art that holds time as a…

“What we need more of is slow art: art that holds time as a vase holds water: art that grows out of modes of perception and making whose skill and doggedness make you think and feel; art that isn’t merely sensational, that doesn’t get its message across in ten seconds, that isn’t falsely iconic…” quote by Robert Hughes
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“What we need more of is slow art: art that holds time as a vase holds water: art that grows out of modes of perception and making whose skill and doggedness make you think and feel; art that isn’t merely sensational, that doesn’t get its message across in ten seconds, that isn’t falsely iconic, that hooks onto something deep-running in our natures. In a word, art that is the very opposite of mass media.”

Robert Hughes

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True art requires patience, depth, and skilled craftsmanship, contrasting fleeting, sensational media.

In simple terms: Art needs time and skill.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate slow, thoughtful creation.

Themes

art patience depth craftsmanship

Mood

contemplative critical

Type

philosophical artistic

When to use this quote

  • museum curation
  • art education
  • creative writing
  • film making

Key Concepts

aesthetic theory cultural criticism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “slow art” look like today?
  • How can we value depth over immediacy?
A Different Perspective

Mass media’s speed can dilute meaning.

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