Artist Quote by e. e. cummings
“Your poems are rather hard to understand, whereas your paintings are so easy. Easy? Of course - you paint flowers and girls and sunsets; things that everybody understands. I never met him. Who? Everybody. Did you ever hear of nonrepresentational painting? I am. Pardon me? I am a painter, and painting is nonrepresentational. Not all painting. No: housepainting is representational. And what does a housepainter represent? Ten dollars an hour. In other words, you don't want to be serious - It takes two to be serious.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "Poem 7" from "XAI Poems", 1915
The speaker contrasts the accessibility of visual art with the complexity of poetry, questioning expectations of seriousness.
In simple terms: Poetry can be harder to grasp than pictures.
Key Takeaway
Embrace complexity in art.
Themes
art
communication
interpretation
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- gallery visits
- art criticism
- creative writing
- education
- public speaking
Key Concepts
representational vs nonrepresentational
artistic intent
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we value visual simplicity?
- How can poets become more accessible?
A Different Perspective
Not all audiences appreciate abstract or challenging work.
