--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is difficult. It's not entertainment…" description: "\"Art is difficult. It's not entertainment. There are only a few people who can say something about art - it's very restricted. When I see a new artist I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/anselm-kiefer-19043_art_art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment_780701.jpg" --- # Art is difficult. It's not entertainment. There are only a… ![“Art is difficult. It's not entertainment. There are only a few people who can say something about art - it's very restricted. When I see a new artist I give myself a lot of time to reflect and decide whether it's art or not. Buying art is not understanding art.” quote by Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/anselm-kiefer-19043_art_art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment_780701.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/anselm-kiefer-19043_art_art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment_780701.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/anselm-kiefer-19043_art_art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment_780701.jpg) > “Art is difficult. It's not entertainment. There are only a few people who can say something about art - it's very restricted. When I see a new artist I give myself a lot of time to reflect and decide whether it's art or not. Buying art is not understanding art.” [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art demands deep contemplation; it is not mere entertainment and only a few can truly assess it. **In simple terms:** Art needs reflection, not casual consumption. Key Takeaway Take time to evaluate before judging. Themes art criticism reflection valuation Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - gallery visits - artist talks - personal art collection - academic study Key Concepts aesthetic judgment subjectivity cultural value Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate personal taste from artistic merit? - What criteria guide your assessment of new art? A Different Perspective Art's value is subjective and may elude definitive criteria. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Buying art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-art/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [New artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-artists/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [Buying art is not understanding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/buying-art-is-not-understanding-art/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [When I see a new artist I give myself a lot of time to reflect and decide whether it's art or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/when-i-see-a-new-artist-i-give-myself-a-lot-of-time-to-reflect-and/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Art is difficult. It's not entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Art is difficult. Its not entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/art-is-difficult-its-not-entertainment/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [As long as artists arbitrarily assume the right to decide what is or is not art, it is logical that the public will just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-krier/as-long-as-artists-arbitrarily-assume-the-right-to-decide-what-is-or/) [Leon Krier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-krier/) > [Once you decide that it is the art that is important and not how popular and well received you are, you no longer have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-stills/once-you-decide-that-it-is-the-art-that-is-important-and-not-how/) [Stephen Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-stills/) > [Most people view the artistic process as something of a mystery. Leverage that, and engage your prospective clients with good stories. For many, buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-trepanier/most-people-view-the-artistic-process-as-something-of-a-mystery/) [Cory Trepanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-trepanier/) > [If buying art is to matter to us deeply, then it has to engage with our emotions and bring something to what one might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/if-buying-art-is-to-matter-to-us-deeply-then-it-has-to-engage-with/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [It is good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good too, to check up once in a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/it-is-good-to-have-money-and-the-things-that-money-can-buy-but-it-s/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [I'm mostly into buying art from friends. I like to keep it vague - just whatever I find intriguing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-m-mostly-into-buying-art-from-friends-i-like-to-keep-it-vague-just/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [Artists need a lot of collectors, all kinds of collectors, buying their art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-saatchi/artists-need-a-lot-of-collectors-all-kinds-of-collectors-buying-their/) [Charles Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-saatchi/) > [I may not be much good at most things, but if I didn't have the pleasure of planning and installing shows, and doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-saatchi/i-may-not-be-much-good-at-most-things-but-if-i-didn-t-have-the/) [Charles Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-saatchi/) > [Taxpayers don't want their money spent more than a very, very slender amount on actual buying art or paying for concerts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/taxpayers-don-t-want-their-money-spent-more-than-a-very-very-slender/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Art is not an investment. Art is something you buy because you are financially solvent enough to give yourself a pleasure of living with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/art-is-not-an-investment-art-is-something-you-buy-because-you-are/) [Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/) > [For some, a sign of your success starts with, 'I'm going to buy a big house.' Then, 'I'm going to start buying art.' And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leonsis/for-some-a-sign-of-your-success-starts-with-i-m-going-to-buy-a-big/) [Ted Leonsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leonsis/) ## More by Anselm Kiefer > [Art really is something very difficult. It is difficult to make, and it is sometimes difficult for the viewer to understand. It is difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/art-really-is-something-very-difficult-it-is-difficult-to-make-and-it/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [What does the artist do? He draws connections. He ties the invisible threads between things. He dives into history, be it the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/what-does-the-artist-do-he-draws-connections-he-ties-the-invisible/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [History is formed by the people, those who have power and those without power. Each one of us makes history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/history-is-formed-by-the-people-those-who-have-power-and-those/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Art is difficult. It's not entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/art-is-difficult-it-s-not-entertainment/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [When knowledge becomes rigid, it stops living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/when-knowledge-becomes-rigid-it-stops-living/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I might have been born into a very literal sense of chaos, but in fact that state is true of all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-might-have-been-born-into-a-very-literal-sense-of-chaos-but-in-fact/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I am against the idea of the end, that everything culminates in paradise or judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-am-against-the-idea-of-the-end-that-everything-culminates-in/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Ruins, for me, are the beginning. With the debris, you can construct new ideas. They are symbols of a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/ruins-for-me-are-the-beginning-with-the-debris-you-can-construct-new/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I believe art has to take responsibility but it should not give up being art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-believe-art-has-to-take-responsibility-but-it-should-not-give-up/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I am of the opinion that there are artists and non-artists. I think that this is the way it always was and always will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-am-of-the-opinion-that-there-are-artists-and-non-artists-i-think/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I was interested in transcendence from a very early age. I was interested in what was over there, what was behind life. So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-was-interested-in-transcendence-from-a-very-early-age-i-was/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Art maybe the only space where an indvidual can be utterly free to question himself, as well as his relationship to his God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/art-maybe-the-only-space-where-an-indvidual-can-be-utterly-free-to/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [If I do something that depresses, it's not because I'm depressed, but because political life and history is depressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/if-i-do-something-that-depresses-it-s-not-because-i-m-depressed-but/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [Because of my Calvinistic upbringing, I was trained to think that what you do has to have a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/because-of-my-calvinistic-upbringing-i-was-trained-to-think-that-what/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) > [I never see a forest that does not bear a mark or a sign of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-kiefer/i-never-see-a-forest-that-does-not-bear-a-mark-or-a-sign-of-history/) [Anselm Kiefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) [Explore all 33 Anselm Kiefer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-kiefer/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Art is difficult. 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