--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art should offend people because art…" description: "\"Art should offend people because art should challenge people.\" — Eriq La Salle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg" --- # Art should offend people because art should challenge… ![“Art should offend people because art should challenge people.” quote by Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg) > “Art should offend people because art should challenge people.” [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art should provoke discomfort to stimulate critical thought and societal growth. **In simple terms:** Art should challenge, not just please. Key Takeaway Embrace art that unsettles. Themes provocation culture critique Mood reflective challenging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery openings - public installations - media commentary - education curricula Key Concepts aesthetics social change Questions to Reflect On - What issues do you think art should confront? - How can artists balance offense with constructive dialogue? A Different Perspective Some audiences may reject or misinterpret challenging art. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [People ask could I have written the show I wrote in 1990 now, and I don't think I could. I think it's much easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-saunders/people-ask-could-i-have-written-the-show-i-wrote-in-1990-now-and-i/) [Jennifer Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-saunders/) > [It's really grinding to always play out of both sides of your mind and always be thinking what will offend people. Or what won't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-weir/it-s-really-grinding-to-always-play-out-of-both-sides-of-your-mind/) [Johnny Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-weir/) > [Sometimes as an artist you don't want to be an entertainer. You want to offend people and inspire them and that's not always entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-sturm/sometimes-as-an-artist-you-don-t-want-to-be-an-entertainer-you-want/) [Lacey Sturm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-sturm/) > [You should live hoping you are going to offend people, because then you're doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-noxon/you-should-live-hoping-you-are-going-to-offend-people-because-then/) [Marti Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-noxon/) > [For too long people have been scared to offend people, or to say the wrong thing. You know what? You might say the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-anne-pinnock/for-too-long-people-have-been-scared-to-offend-people-or-to-say-the/) [Leigh-Anne Pinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-anne-pinnock/) > [When paparazzi is around, I look down at my phone because it kinda makes me uncomfortable. Its just my thing. Didn't mean to offend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-jenner/when-paparazzi-is-around-i-look-down-at-my-phone-because-it-kinda/) [Kylie Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-jenner/) > [I want to offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-want-to-offend-people/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Alliteration seems to offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/alliteration-seems-to-offend-people/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I don't want to offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-mizrahi/i-don-t-want-to-offend-people/) [Isaac Mizrahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-mizrahi/) > [I don't care if I offend people. I really don't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-don-t-care-if-i-offend-people-i-really-don-t-care/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [You live your comedic life close to the edge, you're gonna cross the line and offend people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/you-live-your-comedic-life-close-to-the-edge-you-re-gonna-cross-the/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [I know I probably offend some people. I have been talking a little too much so I'm trying not to talk as much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-arquette/i-know-i-probably-offend-some-people-i-have-been-talking-a-little-too/) [David Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-arquette/) > [Sometimes, I honestly think I offend people with my happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/sometimes-i-honestly-think-i-offend-people-with-my-happiness/) Rayy > [To speak and to offend is with some people but one and the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-speak-and-to-offend-is-with-some-people-but-one-and-the-same-thing/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [“I'm fully aware that some of the stuff I write is going to offend people or p\*ss them off. They should be fully aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/briana-blair/i-m-fully-aware-that-some-of-the-stuff-i-write-is-going-to-offend/) Briana Blair ## More by Eriq La Salle > [So It's not like I go from being this disciplined person who has to get up and go to work to now I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/so-it-s-not-like-i-go-from-being-this-disciplined-person-who-has-to/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Maybe It's not the biggest blockbuster film, but there will be some people that will see it, that will be debating it, that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/maybe-it-s-not-the-biggest-blockbuster-film-but-there-will-be-some/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [You can't do psychological thrillers. There's no audience. I've heard this. I've heard this from studios.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/you-can-t-do-psychological-thrillers-there-s-no-audience-i-ve-heard/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [The films that have influenced me and the films that have motivated me and inspired me were films that resonated, films that made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/the-films-that-have-influenced-me-and-the-films-that-have-motivated/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [It's my company and I believe in the company that's why I started it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/it-s-my-company-and-i-believe-in-the-company-that-s-why-i-started-it/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [I think American cinema, particularly, has become so disposable. It's not even cinema, It's just moviemaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/i-think-american-cinema-particularly-has-become-so-disposable-it-s/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [So that, to me, is important that audiences are treated with an amount of respect toward their intelligence. Most Hollywood films don't respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/so-that-to-me-is-important-that-audiences-are-treated-with-an-amount/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [But I did on projects that I produced, that I directed, that I acted in because it was important. I want to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/but-i-did-on-projects-that-i-produced-that-i-directed-that-i-acted-in/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Ever since I've left, I've been doing nothing but this film and traveling, promoting and doing festivals. So the good thing is that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/ever-since-i-ve-left-i-ve-been-doing-nothing-but-this-film-and/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [“some he hadn’t. He found an old family photo album in the living room credenza. He sat at the kitchen table and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/some-he-hadn-t-he-found-an-old-family-photo-album-in-the-living-room/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Just trying to get a film made which is always difficult no matter what kind of a budget you have. Not having a budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/just-trying-to-get-a-film-made-which-is-always-difficult-no-matter/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Well that's the point: People don't normally take away things from films anymore. You go and see a $100 million film, half an hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/well-that-s-the-point-people-don-t-normally-take-away-things-from/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [Regardless of what people ultimately think about Crazy As Hell, It's not the type of film that, ten minutes after seeing it, you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/regardless-of-what-people-ultimately-think-about-crazy-as-hell-it-s/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [I think that you make the best choice with the information that you have before you at that given time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/i-think-that-you-make-the-best-choice-with-the-information-that-you/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) > [The Sixth Sense is not a good white film. Insomnia is not a good white film. They're just good films. So why we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/the-sixth-sense-is-not-a-good-white-film-insomnia-is-not-a-good-white/) [Eriq La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) [Explore all 19 Eriq La Salle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/) ## 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 > [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": "Art should offend people because art should challenge people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eriq La Salle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/art-should-offend-people-because-art-should-challenge-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/art-should-offend-people-because-art-should-challenge-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/eriq-la-salle-28825_art_art-should-offend-people-because-art-sho_2417180.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art should offend people because art should challenge people.” — Eriq La Salle", "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": "Eriq La Salle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eriq-la-salle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Art should offend people because art...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/art-should-offend-people-because-art-should-challenge-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eriq-la-salle/art-should-offend-people-because-art-should-challenge-people/#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 } } ] } ```