--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing they can't teach you at…" description: "\"The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.\" — David Bailey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png" --- # The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art. ![“The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.” quote by David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png) > “The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.” [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art schools teach technique, but true artistic insight comes from personal experience. **In simple terms:** Formal training lacks the essence of art. Key Takeaway Seek personal experiences to fuel creativity. Themes education creativity authenticity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - art education - self‑taught artists - creative workshops Key Concepts technique experience intuition Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance technique and intuition? - What experiences shape your art? A Different Perspective Formal education provides useful skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-school/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-art-1156647/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teach Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-art-586355/) [Thing Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-teach-792935/) ## Related quotes > [We need to make sure that there's art in the school. Why? Why should art be in the school? Because if art isn't in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/we-need-to-make-sure-that-there-s-art-in-the-school-why-why-should/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [I teach art at a famous art school, and yet I don't have really the least notion what post-modernism means, but we have people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jordan/i-teach-art-at-a-famous-art-school-and-yet-i-don-t-have-really-the/) [Lawrence Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jordan/) > [What they don't teach you in art school is how your whole life is about discovering who you already were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/what-they-don-t-teach-you-in-art-school-is-how-your-whole-life-is/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [You can’t teach art, so ART SCHOOL is a contradiction in terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/you-can-t-teach-art-so-art-school-is-a-contradiction-in-terms/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [My sister is an artist and an interior designer. She went to high school for art. I went to high school for music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/my-sister-is-an-artist-and-an-interior-designer-she-went-to-high/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [I was really into artwork in high school and my art teacher made it clear to me that it's not really a career. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-larson/i-was-really-into-artwork-in-high-school-and-my-art-teacher-made-it/) [Jack Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-larson/) > [The School of the Art Institute is an extraordinary teaching institution by the fact that it believes that active studio artists are good teachers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-grabner/the-school-of-the-art-institute-is-an-extraordinary-teaching/) [Michelle Grabner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-grabner/) > [It looks like the kind of thing my daughter would bring back from school art lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/it-looks-like-the-kind-of-thing-my-daughter-would-bring-back-from/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [When I was in sixth grade, they slashed the budgets for all of our school art programs, so my grandparents enrolled me in art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarrett-j-krosoczka/when-i-was-in-sixth-grade-they-slashed-the-budgets-for-all-of-our/) [Jarrett J. Krosoczka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarrett-j-krosoczka/) > [A school of art or of anything else is to be looked on as a single individual, who keeps talking to himself for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-school-of-art-or-of-anything-else-is-to-be-looked-on-as-a-single/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I got a C in art when I was in 11th grade. That it is even possible to come out of a high school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leandra-medine/i-got-a-c-in-art-when-i-was-in-11th-grade-that-it-is-even-possible-to/) [Leandra Medine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leandra-medine/) > [I had no interest in high school besides art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-loeb/i-had-no-interest-in-high-school-besides-art/) [Damian Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-loeb/) > [My favorite part of school was always my art classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinta-brunson/my-favorite-part-of-school-was-always-my-art-classes/) [Quinta Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinta-brunson/) > [I had been a part of dance and drama clubs at school and art gave me a lot of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cassandra/i-had-been-a-part-of-dance-and-drama-clubs-at-school-and-art-gave-me/) [Regina Cassandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cassandra/) > [Football is the priority, even more than school. Art is frowned upon. I had to sneak music in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccall/football-is-the-priority-even-more-than-school-art-is-frowned-upon-i/) [Kevin McCall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccall/) ## More by David Bailey > [I'm not mad about movies, there are too many people involved in the making of them, and they lack a definitive creative focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-m-not-mad-about-movies-there-are-too-many-people-involved-in-the/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [Rather than knowing more, I think I've got more open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/rather-than-knowing-more-i-think-i-ve-got-more-open-minded/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/it-takes-a-lot-of-imagination-to-be-a-good-photographer-you-need-less/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [I don't do proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-don-t-do-proud/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [When I stop working, I go out and start working again. Most people paint a picture, or whatever they do, and go home. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/when-i-stop-working-i-go-out-and-start-working-again-most-people/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [The Sixties was a time of breaking down class barriers, although I think class still exists today in some areas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-sixties-was-a-time-of-breaking-down-class-barriers-although-i/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [Rockers are the nicest people to photograph. They have no inhibitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/rockers-are-the-nicest-people-to-photograph-they-have-no-inhibitions/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [I like change. There's something Buddhist about it - continuous change is wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-like-change-there-s-something-buddhist-about-it-continuous-change/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [The reason I did fashion was it was the only way to get paid to do anything creative. You couldn't support yourself as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-reason-i-did-fashion-was-it-was-the-only-way-to-get-paid-to-do/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [I don't think my work does reflect my nationality - I don't like the idea of nationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-don-t-think-my-work-does-reflect-my-nationality-i-don-t-like-the/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [It's not about composition. It's the way you feel about how your objects should relate to each other. I've got lots of African statues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/it-s-not-about-composition-it-s-the-way-you-feel-about-how-your/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [In New York, everyone's desperate for success, desperate for money and desperate to be accepted, but in London they're more laid back about things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/in-new-york-everyone-s-desperate-for-success-desperate-for-money-and/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [I hate being so nostalgic about the Sixties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-hate-being-so-nostalgic-about-the-sixties/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [Girls are more attractive to me than dresses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/girls-are-more-attractive-to-me-than-dresses/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) > [I had a terrible time with feminists in the Seventies. They hated me, those women. I think they hated everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/i-had-a-terrible-time-with-feminists-in-the-seventies-they-hated-me/) [David Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) [Explore all 111 David Bailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Bailey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-art-school-is-art/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-art-school-is-art/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/david-bailey-4423_art_the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-a_2207794.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing they can't teach you at art school is art.” — David Bailey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Bailey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bailey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only thing they can't teach...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-art-school-is-art/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bailey/the-only-thing-they-can-t-teach-you-at-art-school-is-art/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```