--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That should be the goal for all art, to…" description: "\"That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a flashcard.\" — John Baldessari" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png" --- # That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a… ![“That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a flashcard.” quote by John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png) > “That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a flashcard.” [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) ## 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 aim for clarity and immediacy, like a flashcard’s simplicity. **In simple terms:** Art should be as simple as a flashcard. Key Takeaway Strive for clear, concise artistic expression. Themes art design communication minimalism Mood inspirational reflective educational Type artistic philosophy design principle When to use this quote - gallery displays - educational materials - branding - media campaigns Key Concepts visual theory educational design Questions to Reflect On - When does simplicity hinder meaning? - How can artists balance clarity with complexity? A Different Perspective Simplicity may sacrifice depth or nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-simple-815903/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Flashcard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flashcard-4669042/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-art-1242281/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Simple Flashcard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-flashcard-4669041/) ## Related quotes > [The same person is coming through in a different medium… My art is simple, direct and definite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-slick/the-same-person-is-coming-through-in-a-different-medium-my-art-is/) [Grace Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-slick/) > [“No one ever claimed that creating art was simple. But they failed to mention the mess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-k-preston/no-one-ever-claimed-that-creating-art-was-simple-but-they-failed-to/) [F.K. Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-k-preston/) > [Art sometimes is as simple as nothing, and other times as mysterious as nature or a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-aulakh/art-sometimes-is-as-simple-as-nothing-and-other-times-as-mysterious/) [Jeet Aulakh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-aulakh/) > [“I am about art here, not simple reproduction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-am-about-art-here-not-simple-reproduction/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Art experts are unfailingly opposed to Art for the simple reason that they are interested in Art - but Art is not interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vizinczey/art-experts-are-unfailingly-opposed-to-art-for-the-simple-reason-that/) [Stephen Vizinczey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vizinczey/) > [“Between Margaret's fine edged art and Glady's rough simplicity, where did the greater feminine solace lie? True art, after all, is simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-wilson/between-margaret-s-fine-edged-art-and-glady-s-rough-simplicity-where/) [Angus Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-wilson/) > [I like art that's simple but feels kind of genius - like David Shrigley or David Hockney.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lolly-adefope/i-like-art-that-s-simple-but-feels-kind-of-genius-like-david-shrigley/) [Lolly Adefope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lolly-adefope/) > [I find art in simple things and arranging objects gives me enormous pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-fitzgerald/i-find-art-in-simple-things-and-arranging-objects-gives-me-enormous/) [Tara Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-fitzgerald/) > [Leadership is the science of giving life to your goal and the art of making people see and aspire for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/leadership-is-the-science-of-giving-life-to-your-goal-and-the-art-of/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“When I was a child, my artist mom told me that there was no such thing as bad art. I know now that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-orwig/when-i-was-a-child-my-artist-mom-told-me-that-there-was-no-such-thing/) [Chris Orwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-orwig/) > [I think that's always the goal of art, is to make people ask themselves questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/i-think-that-s-always-the-goal-of-art-is-to-make-people-ask/) [Chance The Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/) > [One goal of my art is to help people remember why they are here now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gage-taylor/one-goal-of-my-art-is-to-help-people-remember-why-they-are-here-now/) [Gage Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gage-taylor/) > [The goal of art was the vital expression of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-stieglitz/the-goal-of-art-was-the-vital-expression-of-self/) [Alfred Stieglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-stieglitz/) > [The goal of art-making in general is communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cotton/the-goal-of-art-making-in-general-is-communication/) [Will Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cotton/) > [The goal of art is to inspire people to look inward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sullivan/the-goal-of-art-is-to-inspire-people-to-look-inward/) [Chris Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sullivan/) ## More by John Baldessari > [It's human desire to be understood. And we always feel we're not understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/it-s-human-desire-to-be-understood-and-we-always-feel-we-re-not/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [Talent is cheap, you have to be possessed or obsessed, rather. You really have to feel like you cannot not do art, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/talent-is-cheap-you-have-to-be-possessed-or-obsessed-rather-you/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [The idea of vaudeville clowns and court jesters is always to show the flaw, to point out what's not working and why it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/the-idea-of-vaudeville-clowns-and-court-jesters-is-always-to-show-the/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [I will not make anymore boring art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/i-will-not-make-anymore-boring-art/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [Writing helped me understand what I was thinking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/writing-helped-me-understand-what-i-was-thinking-about/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [Probably one of the worst things that happened to photography is that cameras have viewfinders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/probably-one-of-the-worst-things-that-happened-to-photography-is-that/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [There's no such thing as a bad photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-bad-photograph/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [I think I live such a boring life. But I can't imagine any other kind of life, so I guess it's the life I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/i-think-i-live-such-a-boring-life-but-i-can-t-imagine-any-other-kind/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [I was teaching live drawing in a community college and students started zoning in on the face and spending a couple of hours on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/i-was-teaching-live-drawing-in-a-community-college-and-students/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [Ideally I would like the work to be a hybrid between painting and photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/ideally-i-would-like-the-work-to-be-a-hybrid-between-painting-and/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [Most of my friends are women. I think women are more interesting to talk to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/most-of-my-friends-are-women-i-think-women-are-more-interesting-to/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [The idea was to take fine art and put it into the location of the movie scripts. The script itself is collage - some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/the-idea-was-to-take-fine-art-and-put-it-into-the-location-of-the/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [If I saw the art around me that I liked, then I wouldn't do art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/if-i-saw-the-art-around-me-that-i-liked-then-i-wouldn-t-do-art/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [I could never figure out why photography and art had separate histories. So I decided to explore both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/i-could-never-figure-out-why-photography-and-art-had-separate/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) > [I go back and forth between wanting to be abundantly simple and maddeningly complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/i-go-back-and-forth-between-wanting-to-be-abundantly-simple-and/) [John Baldessari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) [Explore all 38 John Baldessari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a flashcard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Baldessari" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-be-as-simple-as-a-flashcard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-be-as-simple-as-a-flashcard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/john-baldessari-16840_art_that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-b_2986022.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That should be the goal for all art, to be as simple as a flashcard.” — John Baldessari", "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": "John Baldessari", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baldessari/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That should be the goal for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-be-as-simple-as-a-flashcard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baldessari/that-should-be-the-goal-for-all-art-to-be-as-simple-as-a-flashcard/#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 } } ] } ```