--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real reason that students and…" description: "\"“The real reason that students and increasingly teachers of art history are ready to jettison the past, however, is that the refusal of the authority o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/christopher-s-wood-228224_art_the-real-reason-that-students-and-increa_2278771.jpg" --- # The real reason that students and increasingly teachers of… ![“The real reason that students and increasingly teachers of art history are ready to jettison the past, however, is that the refusal of the authority of the past is the very program of modern art. To invest in modern art existentially is to agree to carry out that program. The investment in modern…” quote by Christopher S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/christopher-s-wood-228224_art_the-real-reason-that-students-and-increa_2278771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/christopher-s-wood-228224_art_the-real-reason-that-students-and-increa_2278771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ec/christopher-s-wood-228224_art_the-real-reason-that-students-and-increa_2278771.jpg) > ““The real reason that students and increasingly teachers of art history are ready to jettison the past, however, is that the refusal of the authority of the past is the very program of modern art. To invest in modern art existentially is to agree to carry out that program. The investment in modern art entails contempt for the past. The inverse is true as well, although some would deny it. I would maintain that it is only possible to say something insightful about contemporary art from a standpoint well inside the magic circle. The rest of us on the outside, who do not live but only look at contemporary art, always misrecognize it.”” Christopher S. Wood ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern art rejects past authority, but insight requires deep immersion; outsiders often misinterpret. **In simple terms:** Understanding contemporary art needs insider perspective. Key Takeaway Dive deep to truly grasp modern art. Themes art history modernism authority interpretation insight Mood analytical curious Type Art:1 Art history:1 Artist:0 Contemporary art:1 Existence:0 History:0 Modern art:1 Program:0 Time:0 Art Standpoint:0 Art Entails:0 Invest Modern:0 When to use this quote - art education - museum curation - academic research - public discourse Key Concepts cultural critique philosophy of art educational methods Questions to Reflect On - How does your background shape art perception? - What steps deepen your art insight? A Different Perspective Outsiders can still contribute valuable perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-history/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Contemporary art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-art/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Modern art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-art/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Art - the beautiful thing about art, from my standpoint, is that it has no discrimination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rza/art-the-beautiful-thing-about-art-from-my-standpoint-is-that-it-has/) [Rza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rza/) > [There are so many people who have a training in art history; and if you've spent time looking at old art, you become attuned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-belem/there-are-so-many-people-who-have-a-training-in-art-history-and-if/) Laura Belem > [Take Damien Hirst out of contemporary art history, and there's an incredible void. 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Art has increasingly become the concern of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/the-history-of-modern-art-is-also-the-history-of-the-progressive-loss/) [Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/) > [“Whenever there was an opening for a new show, she would invite him; there would be champagne and hors d’oeuvres, women in smart dresses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-lapena/whenever-there-was-an-opening-for-a-new-show-she-would-invite-him/) [Shari Lapena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-lapena/) > [As the spiral of modern art history continues to wind down, we can see the increasing demand for tradition in the visual arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-babailov/as-the-spiral-of-modern-art-history-continues-to-wind-down-we-can-see/) [Igor Babailov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-babailov/) ## 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. 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