--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If art could be absolutely verified as to…" description: "\"If art could be absolutely verified as to importance in, say, the way gold can be judged for purity and weight, then it would of course be finished as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/harold-town-40040_activity_if-art-could-be-absolutely-verified-as-t_1704961.jpg" --- # If art could be absolutely verified as to importance in… ![“If art could be absolutely verified as to importance in, say, the way gold can be judged for purity and weight, then it would of course be finished as mythic activity. Free of doubt, controversy, and the inexplicable fluctuation of reputation, art-making would bear the same relationship to…” quote by Harold Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/harold-town-40040_activity_if-art-could-be-absolutely-verified-as-t_1704961.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/harold-town-40040_activity_if-art-could-be-absolutely-verified-as-t_1704961.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/harold-town-40040_activity_if-art-could-be-absolutely-verified-as-t_1704961.jpg) > “If art could be absolutely verified as to importance in, say, the way gold can be judged for purity and weight, then it would of course be finished as mythic activity. Free of doubt, controversy, and the inexplicable fluctuation of reputation, art-making would bear the same relationship to creativity as cake mix does to baking.” [Harold Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-town/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If art were measured like gold, it would become a mythic, unquestioned craft, losing its debate and mystery. **In simple terms:** Measuring art like gold would strip its mystery. Key Takeaway Value art beyond material standards. Themes art valuation mythic activity Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - gallery curation - art criticism - creative workshops Key Concepts objective measurement creative freedom Questions to Reflect On - How do you judge artistic worth? - Can art thrive without standards? A Different Perspective Art’s value is partly in its ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-making/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Baking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baking/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Fluctuation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fluctuation/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Purity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purity/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [Every man, however hopeless his pretensions may appear, has some project by which he hopes to rise to reputation; some art by which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-however-hopeless-his-pretensions-may-appear-has-some/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [We've taken disturbances and fluctuations and averaged them together to give us comfortable statistics. 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A small farmer can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-big-producer-can-survive-price-fluctuations-on-the-world-market-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Most of the network related programming in games has to do with providing a good interactive experience when playing over the internet. This matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothee-besset/most-of-the-network-related-programming-in-games-has-to-do-with/) Timothee Besset > [Because of my own experience with market fluctuation, I recognize the great risks one takes on investments. This converts the Social Security safety net…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-napolitano/because-of-my-own-experience-with-market-fluctuation-i-recognize-the/) [Grace Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-napolitano/) > [Disregarding the big swing and trying to jump in and out was fatal to me. Nobody can catch all the fluctuations. In a bull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lauriston-livermore/disregarding-the-big-swing-and-trying-to-jump-in-and-out-was-fatal-to/) [Jesse Lauriston Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lauriston-livermore/) > [Intelligent investment is more a matter of mental approach than it is of technique. A sound mental approach toward stock fluctuations is the touchstone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/intelligent-investment-is-more-a-matter-of-mental-approach-than-it-is/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Harold Town > [Painting is still to a great extent dominated by a central image; corners in most cases are like uninvited guests at a party, uneasy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-town/painting-is-still-to-a-great-extent-dominated-by-a-central-image/) [Harold Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-town/) > [Any artist who doesn't think he's the best should quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-town/any-artist-who-doesn-t-think-he-s-the-best-should-quit/) [Harold Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-town/) > [It's such an honour being banned in Italy, the mother of sensuality. It's like being asked to straighten your tie in a bordello... 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It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If art could be absolutely verified as to importance in, say, the way gold can be judged for purity and weight, then it would of course be finished as mythic activity. 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