---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm rather kind of old school, thinking…"
description: "\"I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work, it's no longer his... I just see what people make of it.\" — David Bowie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg"
---

#  I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an…

![“I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work, it's no longer his... I just see what people make of it.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg)

> “I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work, it's no longer his... I just see what people make of it.”

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## About This Quote

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

The creator's intent fades as audience interpretation takes over, redefining the work's meaning.

**In simple terms:** Audience shapes art's meaning more than creator.

Key Takeaway

Embrace multiple perspectives on art.

Themes

art interpretation audience creativity subjectivity

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- gallery openings
- online art platforms
- public installations
- media reviews

Key Concepts

postmodernism reader response theory ownership

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your perception change a work?
- Should artists control meaning?

A Different Perspective

Interpretation can diverge wildly, causing conflict over intended message.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-does-282627/) [Kind Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-old-338496/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Old school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-artist-338495/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work it's no longer his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-that-when-an-artist-does-his-2/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I love Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, and The Supremes, because I'm kind of old-school at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naturi-naughton/i-love-aretha-franklin-patti-labelle-and-the-supremes-because-i-m/)

[Naturi Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naturi-naughton/)

> [24 hours a day, I'm thinking about what we can do with this artist, what I can do myself over here, and how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-park/24-hours-a-day-i-m-thinking-about-what-we-can-do-with-this-artist/)

[Jay Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-park/)

> [People should stop thinking that an artist that controls what he does is a bad thing. A lot of artists today are just victims,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daft-punk/people-should-stop-thinking-that-an-artist-that-controls-what-he-does/)

[Daft Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daft-punk/)

> [I did not go to art school thinking that I was an artist; I went there mainly doing stage sets for bands. I considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pipilotti-rist/i-did-not-go-to-art-school-thinking-that-i-was-an-artist-i-went-there/)

[Pipilotti Rist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pipilotti-rist/)

> [“start thinking of yourself as an artist and your life as a work-in-progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/start-thinking-of-yourself-as-an-artist-and-your-life-as-a-work-in-2/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [“In the case of the creative mind, it seems to me, the intellect has withdrawn its watchers from the gates, and the ideas rush…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/in-the-case-of-the-creative-mind-it-seems-to-me-the-intellect-has/)

[Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/)

> [When I'm up on stage, I'm thinking more about my fans and about myself as a singer and an artist. When I'm at home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-turner/when-i-m-up-on-stage-i-m-thinking-more-about-my-fans-and-about-myself/)

[Josh Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-turner/)

> [I'm kind of an old-fashioned guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-arpaio/i-m-kind-of-an-old-fashioned-guy/)

[Joe Arpaio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-arpaio/)

> [I think most beauty tips that work and last are kind of old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-most-beauty-tips-that-work-and-last-are-kind-of-old/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [I guess you could say I'm 'kind' to my past books in the way you might be kind to an old boyfriend you still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/i-guess-you-could-say-i-m-kind-to-my-past-books-in-the-way-you-might/)

[Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/)

> [There are so many emoticons these days, I'm kind of old fashioned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/there-are-so-many-emoticons-these-days-i-m-kind-of-old-fashioned/)

[Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/)

> [Be kind to an old man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/be-kind-to-an-old-man/)

[Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/)

> [“Stop! Ok, seriously, how old are you two? You’re acting like teenagers instead of old ass immortal men!" “Well, yea we are kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yelle-hughes/stop-ok-seriously-how-old-are-you-two-you-re-acting-like-teenagers/)

[Yelle Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yelle-hughes/)

> [I'm kind of old-fashioned because I was born and live in the same house for six generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davis-hanson/i-m-kind-of-old-fashioned-because-i-was-born-and-live-in-the-same/)

[Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/)

## More by David Bowie

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

[Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## 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": "I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work, it's no longer his... I just see what people make of it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Bowie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-that-when-an-artist-does-his/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-that-when-an-artist-does-his/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/david-bowie-508_art_i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-t_574478.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm rather kind of old school, thinking that when an artist does his work, it's no longer his... I just see…” — David Bowie",
                "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 Bowie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm rather kind of old school,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-that-when-an-artist-does-his/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-rather-kind-of-old-school-thinking-that-when-an-artist-does-his/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
