--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t think you can talk about progress…" description: "\"I don’t think you can talk about progress in art—movement, but not progress.\" — Donald Barthelme" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/donald-barthelme-2980_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-talk-about-progres_1640730.png" --- # I don’t think you can talk about progress in art—movement… ![“I don’t think you can talk about progress in art—movement, but not progress.” quote by Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/donald-barthelme-2980_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-talk-about-progres_1640730.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/donald-barthelme-2980_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-talk-about-progres_1640730.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/514/donald-barthelme-2980_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-talk-about-progres_1640730.png) > “I don’t think you can talk about progress in art—movement, but not progress.” [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote distinguishes between artistic movement, which is a shift in style or direction, and genuine progress in art, implying that movement does not necessarily equate to improvement. **In simple terms:** Movement in art isn’t the same as progress. Key Takeaway Don’t confuse change with improvement. Themes art progress movement creativity critical thinking Mood analytical contemplative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - art criticism - creative practice - education curricula - gallery curation Key Concepts aesthetics philosophy cultural studies Questions to Reflect On - What constitutes real progress in art? - How can we evaluate artistic movement versus progress? A Different Perspective Progress can be subjective and hard to measure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-movement-442971/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Horizontal lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizontal-lines/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Movement Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-progress-565275/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-art-476819/) [Talk Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-progress-565274/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think you can talk about progress in art - movement, but not progress. You can speak of a point on a line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/i-don-t-think-you-can-talk-about-progress-in-art-movement-but-not/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Oh, we talk of progress, but what we really desire is the perpetuation of the present”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/oh-we-talk-of-progress-but-what-we-really-desire-is-the-perpetuation/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [The body is living art. Your movement through time and space is art. A painter has brushes. You have your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/the-body-is-living-art-your-movement-through-time-and-space-is-art-a/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [Change is not always growth just as movement is not always progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pollard/change-is-not-always-growth-just-as-movement-is-not-always-progress/) [William Pollard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pollard/) > [“Not every movement is progress; Some movements are just a way of burning fats!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/not-every-movement-is-progress-some-movements-are-just-a-way-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Progress in art does not consist in reducing limitations, but in knowing them better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/progress-in-art-does-not-consist-in-reducing-limitations-but-in/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [In science we see progress. 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It was written for several reasons. Nine of them are secrets. The tenth is that one should never cease considering human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-story-ends-it-was-written-for-several-reasons-nine-of-them-are/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“INTERVIEWER Why don’t you write tragedy? BARTHELME I’m fated to deal in mixtures, slumgullions, which preclude tragedy, which require a pure line. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/interviewer-why-don-t-you-write-tragedy-barthelme-i-m-fated-to-deal/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Do I want to be loved in spite of?Do you? Does anyone? But aren't we all to some degree? 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What does that mean, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/mother-have-you-noticed-that-this-society-we-re-in-tends-to-be-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [I keep wondering if, say, there is intelligent life on other planets, the scientists argue that something like two percent of the other planets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/i-keep-wondering-if-say-there-is-intelligent-life-on-other-planets/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“This muck heaves and palpitates. It is multi-directional and has a mayor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/this-muck-heaves-and-palpitates-it-is-multi-directional-and-has-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“They were heading I judged for the Sixth Precinct. 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