--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art, and, above all, music, has a…" description: "\"Art, and, above all, music, has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of expression. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/iannis-xenakis-48999_aim_art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamenta_922254.png" --- # Art, and, above all, music, has a fundamental function… ![“Art, and, above all, music, has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of expression. It must aim through fixations which are landmarks, to draw [one] towards a total exaltation in which the individual mingles, losing his…” quote by Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/iannis-xenakis-48999_aim_art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamenta_922254.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/iannis-xenakis-48999_aim_art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamenta_922254.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9b/iannis-xenakis-48999_aim_art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamenta_922254.png) > “Art, and, above all, music, has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of expression. It must aim through fixations which are landmarks, to draw \[one\] towards a total exaltation in which the individual mingles, losing his consciousness in a truth immediate, rare, enormous, and perfect. If a work of art succeeds in this undertaking even for a single moment, it attains its goal.” [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art and music serve to elevate the soul, merging individual consciousness with a profound, perfect truth through expressive fixation. **In simple terms:** Art lifts the soul toward a perfect truth. Key Takeaway Seek transformative artistic experiences. Themes art music spirituality expression transcendence Mood awe inspired reflective Type philosophical inspirational aesthetic When to use this quote - concert attendance - creative practice - mindful listening - art therapy Key Concepts sublimation consciousness merging aesthetic experience Questions to Reflect On - How does art change your perception of self? - Can music provide lasting spiritual insight? A Different Perspective The impact may be fleeting and not universally accessible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Exaltation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaltation/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Fixation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixation/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Landmarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landmarks/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Single mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-mom/) [Single moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-moment/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [“Art, and above all, music has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamental-function-which-is-to-2/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It does not follow, that because a particular work of art succeeds in charming us, its creator also deserves our admiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/it-does-not-follow-that-because-a-particular-work-of-art-succeeds-in/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [“Although any collective answer to my question remains to be seen, personally I feel quite certain of it. Because if there’s one thing I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/although-any-collective-answer-to-my-question-remains-to-be-seen/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“A piece of art only succeeds when it's creator...possesses the belief that brings it into being”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/a-piece-of-art-only-succeeds-when-it-s-creator-possesses-the-belief/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [The only work of art which succeeds is that which fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/the-only-work-of-art-which-succeeds-is-that-which-fails/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Music was fundamental in my family. Sang at bars, all the way to church on Sunday. Music in school, played guitar pulls at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamey-johnson/music-was-fundamental-in-my-family-sang-at-bars-all-the-way-to-church/) [Jamey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamey-johnson/) > [Music is...a fundamental way of expressing our humanity - and it is often our best medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sacks/music-is-a-fundamental-way-of-expressing-our-humanity-and-it-is-often/) [Oliver Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sacks/) > [Music is a fundamental human right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-dudamel/music-is-a-fundamental-human-right/) [Gustavo Dudamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-dudamel/) > [We all know this: Music is such a fundamental part of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bozoma-saint-john/we-all-know-this-music-is-such-a-fundamental-part-of-life/) [Bozoma Saint John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bozoma-saint-john/) > [I think that ultimately, when you create music that is proper music, then it becomes fundamental and anyone can relate to it or connect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-nozuka/i-think-that-ultimately-when-you-create-music-that-is-proper-music/) [Justin Nozuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-nozuka/) > [The proof given by Wright, that non-adaptive differentiation will occur in small populations owing to "drift," or the chance fixation of some new mutation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/the-proof-given-by-wright-that-non-adaptive-differentiation-will/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [The real enemy of happiness is the mind's fixations and delusions... If you have the right mind, you can overcome anything - you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-real-enemy-of-happiness-is-the-mind-s-fixations-and-delusions-if/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“I have a slight oral fixation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/i-have-a-slight-oral-fixation/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [I was haunted always by my other life-my drab room in the Bronx, my square foot of the subway, my fixation upon the day's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-was-haunted-always-by-my-other-life-my-drab-room-in-the-bronx-my/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More by Iannis Xenakis > [Do you realize that we're meteorites; almost as soon as we're born, we have to disappear?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/do-you-realize-that-we-re-meteorites-almost-as-soon-as-we-re-born-we/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [The listener must be gripped and whether he likes it or not, drawn into the flight path of the sounds without special training being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/the-listener-must-be-gripped-and-whether-he-likes-it-or-not-drawn/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [To make music means to express human intelligence by sonic means. This is intelligence in its broadest sense, which includes not only the peregrinations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/to-make-music-means-to-express-human-intelligence-by-sonic-means-this/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [“Art, and above all, music has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/art-and-above-all-music-has-a-fundamental-function-which-is-to-2/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [The musical scale is a convention which circumscribes the area of potentiality and permits construction within those limits in its own particular symmetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/the-musical-scale-is-a-convention-which-circumscribes-the-area-of/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [Music is not a language. Any musical piece is akin to a boulder with complex forms, with striations and engraved designs atop and within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/music-is-not-a-language-any-musical-piece-is-akin-to-a-boulder-with/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) > [The collision of hail or rain with hard surfaces, or the song of cicadas in a summer field. These sonic events are made out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iannis-xenakis/the-collision-of-hail-or-rain-with-hard-surfaces-or-the-song-of/) [Iannis Xenakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) [Explore all 8 Iannis Xenakis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iannis-xenakis/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [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/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Art, and, above all, music, has a fundamental function, which is to catalyze the sublimation that it can bring about through all means of expression. 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