Artist Quote by Jerry Saltz
“You can't prove Rembrandt is better than Norman Rockwell - although if you actually do prefer Rockwell, I'd say you were shunning complexity, were secretly conservative, and hadn't really looked at either painter's work. Taste is a blood sport.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Art Critic Commentary, 2015
The speaker argues that personal taste in art is often a proxy for hidden biases and political conservatism, not an objective measure of quality.
In simple terms: Taste reflects hidden biases, not objective quality.
Key Takeaway
Examine your own preferences for hidden motives.
Themes
art criticism
politics
subjectivity
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- gallery visits
- art education
- media consumption
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
bias
cultural capital
aesthetic judgment
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do you make about your art preferences?
- How might your political views shape your aesthetic judgments?
A Different Perspective
Taste can be influenced by social conditioning, not just personal preference.
![“There's the artist's intimacy and truthfulness to himself, but an equal intimacy to the Other [the one drawn]. Picasso drawings are like that... the Rembrandts are like that. The artist who most often did that was Van Gogh.” quote by John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d1/john-berger-1590_art_there-s-the-artist-s-intimacy-and-truthf_155171.jpg)
