--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't want to be criticized for taking…" description: "\"I didn't want to be criticized for taking low-quality photographs, so I tried to reach the best, highest quality of photography and then to combine thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/hiroshi-sugimoto-14343_aesthetic_i-didn-t-want-to-be-criticized-for-takin_1474127.jpg" --- # I didn't want to be criticized for taking low-quality… ![“I didn't want to be criticized for taking low-quality photographs, so I tried to reach the best, highest quality of photography and then to combine this with a conceptual art practice. But thinking back, that was the wrong decision [laughs]. Developing a low-quality aesthetic is a sign of serious…” quote by Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/hiroshi-sugimoto-14343_aesthetic_i-didn-t-want-to-be-criticized-for-takin_1474127.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/hiroshi-sugimoto-14343_aesthetic_i-didn-t-want-to-be-criticized-for-takin_1474127.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/569/hiroshi-sugimoto-14343_aesthetic_i-didn-t-want-to-be-criticized-for-takin_1474127.jpg) > “I didn't want to be criticized for taking low-quality photographs, so I tried to reach the best, highest quality of photography and then to combine this with a conceptual art practice. But thinking back, that was the wrong decision \[laughs\]. Developing a low-quality aesthetic is a sign of serious fine art-I still see this.” [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Striving for high‑quality photography led to a misstep; embracing low‑quality aesthetic can be a serious fine‑art choice. **In simple terms:** Low‑quality can be intentional artistic statement. Key Takeaway Explore intentional imperfection. Themes art aesthetics conceptual art photography Mood thoughtful curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery shows - personal projects - creative experiments Key Concepts post‑modernism visual theory Questions to Reflect On - What does “low‑quality” mean to you? - How can you convey intent clearly? A Different Perspective Low‑quality may be misinterpreted as lack of skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aesthetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Conceptual art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceptual-art/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Fine arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-arts/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wrong decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-decision/) ## Related quotes > [My photographs tried to find the politicians at their most wary, most vulnerable, and perhaps most truthful moments. I wanted the photographs to reveal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-liebling/my-photographs-tried-to-find-the-politicians-at-their-most-wary-most/) Jerome Liebling > [The meaning of quality in photography's best pictures lies written in the language of vision. That language is learned by chance, not system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-evans/the-meaning-of-quality-in-photography-s-best-pictures-lies-written-in/) [Walker Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-evans/) > [Because it's free, easy to use, and high-quality, photography is now a fixture in our daily lives - something we take for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/because-it-s-free-easy-to-use-and-high-quality-photography-is-now-a/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [I don't like explosions. I don't mind progress. But digital photography has made every man, woman, child and chimpanzee a photographer of sorts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/i-don-t-like-explosions-i-don-t-mind-progress-but-digital-photography/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [“Wedding Photographer In Milton Keynes the skills and knowledge to capture your memories with the best quality photographs possible that you enjoy for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magicpicture/wedding-photographer-in-milton-keynes-the-skills-and-knowledge-to/) magicpicture > [The public is being spoiled by good technical quality photographs in magazines, on television, in the movies, and they have become bored. The disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexey-brodovitch/the-public-is-being-spoiled-by-good-technical-quality-photographs-in/) [Alexey Brodovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexey-brodovitch/) > [“There is something strikingly different about the quality of photographs of that time. It has nothing to do with age or colour, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitav-ghosh/there-is-something-strikingly-different-about-the-quality-of/) [Amitav Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitav-ghosh/) > [“In Taiwan during the 1960s and mainland China in the 1980s, conceptualism played a role similar to that of Dada, that is, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-minglu/in-taiwan-during-the-1960s-and-mainland-china-in-the-1980s/) Gao Minglu > [When I go to galleries in New York, I feel like I'm in school. I know that there's good contemporary conceptual art, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyp-malone/when-i-go-to-galleries-in-new-york-i-feel-like-i-m-in-school-i-know/) [Kyp Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyp-malone/) > [I am particularly interested in creating a relationship between ideas of reception in conceptual art and theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crouch/i-am-particularly-interested-in-creating-a-relationship-between-ideas/) [Tim Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crouch/) > [In fact I always disliked conceptual art, because my work is about anarchistic humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-graham/in-fact-i-always-disliked-conceptual-art-because-my-work-is-about/) Dan Graham > [Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/conceptual-art-became-the-liberating-idea-that-gave-the-art-of-the/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [I'm not saying Sonic Youth was a conceptual-art project for me, but in a way it was an extension of Warhol. Instead of making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-m-not-saying-sonic-youth-was-a-conceptual-art-project-for-me-but-in/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) > [I am not really interested in clothing as a conceptual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issey-miyake/i-am-not-really-interested-in-clothing-as-a-conceptual-art-form/) [Issey Miyake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issey-miyake/) > [I've come up through art school, through painting, through graphic design, through advertising, through TV commercials and music video. I've designed books, built billboards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kaye/i-ve-come-up-through-art-school-through-painting-through-graphic/) [Tony Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kaye/) ## More by Hiroshi Sugimoto > [I have a strong feeling about this quick movement and changing of society and populations growing - something scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-this-quick-movement-and-changing-of/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [If I already have a vision, my work is almost done. The rest is a technical problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/if-i-already-have-a-vision-my-work-is-almost-done-the-rest-is-a/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Photography is like a found object. A photographer never makes an actual subject; they just steal the image from the world...Photography is a system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/photography-is-like-a-found-object-a-photographer-never-makes-an/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [I'm inviting the spirits into my photography. It's an act of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-m-inviting-the-spirits-into-my-photography-it-s-an-act-of-god/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [“We'll drive backwards in what will become your new car to the beach where we first slept side by side. The green waves will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/we-ll-drive-backwards-in-what-will-become-your-new-car-to-the-beach/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [I feel that I'm in a very interesting position, where I'm standing back to look at this change, at this moment in history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-feel-that-i-m-in-a-very-interesting-position-where-i-m-standing/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Life is one passage and then you keep moving into another state. It's like you might be reborn, but the process of being born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/life-is-one-passage-and-then-you-keep-moving-into-another-state-it-s/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [ I have no policy for my collection. For example, there's a bunch of meteorite \[on the windowsill in my studio\]. I touch it and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-no-policy-for-my-collection-for-example-there-s-a-bunch-of/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [One night I had an idea while I was at the movies: to photograph the film itself. I tried to imagine photographing an entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/one-night-i-had-an-idea-while-i-was-at-the-movies-to-photograph-the/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [I don't know whether the future or 2018 exists or not, but if it exists, I'm offering a show to a museum in Australia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-don-t-know-whether-the-future-or-2018-exists-or-not-but-if-it/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [The Seascapes are before human beings and after human beings. The Seascapes were there before our presence, and when our civilization is over, seascapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/the-seascapes-are-before-human-beings-and-after-human-beings-the/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [My concept was, within the five-minute video, for people to see one million Buddhas. So I made a group of the images and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/my-concept-was-within-the-five-minute-video-for-people-to-see-one/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [When I wake up I just make it happen. My dreams come true- that is the artistic practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/when-i-wake-up-i-just-make-it-happen-my-dreams-come-true-that-is-the/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Not any particular religion or school of religion, but being an artist, you have to be spiritual, in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/not-any-particular-religion-or-school-of-religion-but-being-an-artist/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [I came to California in 1970 and so many people were asking if I was a Buddhist or knew Zen theory, asking if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-came-to-california-in-1970-and-so-many-people-were-asking-if-i-was/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) [Explore all 47 Hiroshi Sugimoto quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) ## More Aesthetic quotes > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [I don't think I was ever thinking critically about my aesthetic, I think it's enough when you're little just to understand that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-don-t-think-i-was-ever-thinking-critically-about-my-aesthetic-i/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [I'm kind of still down with Virg Woolf on this one: "women must kill the aesthetic ideal through which they themselves have been 'killed'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/i-m-kind-of-still-down-with-virg-woolf-on-this-one-women-must-kill/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [There is a certain aesthetic pleasure in trying to imagine the unimaginable and failing, if you are a reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/there-is-a-certain-aesthetic-pleasure-in-trying-to-imagine-the/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [It's so important what you're doing in your life. It's tremendously important to the work, and no aesthetic theories take that into account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maus/it-s-so-important-what-you-re-doing-in-your-life-it-s-tremendously/) [John Maus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maus/) > [It is not necessary to have an extravagant food budget in order to serve things with variety and tastefully cooked. It is not necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/it-is-not-necessary-to-have-an-extravagant-food-budget-in-order-to/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Art is realistic when it strives to express an ethical ideal. Realism is striving for truth, and truth is always beautiful. Here the aesthetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/art-is-realistic-when-it-strives-to-express-an-ethical-ideal-realism/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [I had always wanted to expand to beauty, but I knew I wanted to be able to translate my design aesthetic in an authentic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-ronson/i-had-always-wanted-to-expand-to-beauty-but-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be/) [Charlotte Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-ronson/) > [I wanted the press to become something of a movement. Not a movement committed to a particular 'ism', but a gathering together of writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-metcalf/i-wanted-the-press-to-become-something-of-a-movement-not-a-movement/) John Metcalf [Browse all 953 Aesthetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't want to be criticized for taking low-quality photographs, so I tried to reach the best, highest quality of photography and then to combine this with a conceptual art practice. But thinking back, that was the wrong decision [laughs]. 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