--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My work is a contemporary call to arms…" description: "\"My work is a contemporary call to arms. It is time to get our mojo back. To rediscover our true north.\" — Kehinde Wiley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kehinde-wiley-1194_arms_my-work-is-a-contemporary-call-to-arms-i_2123888.jpg" --- # My work is a contemporary call to arms. It is time to get… ![“My work is a contemporary call to arms. It is time to get our mojo back. To rediscover our true north.” quote by Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kehinde-wiley-1194_arms_my-work-is-a-contemporary-call-to-arms-i_2123888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kehinde-wiley-1194_arms_my-work-is-a-contemporary-call-to-arms-i_2123888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kehinde-wiley-1194_arms_my-work-is-a-contemporary-call-to-arms-i_2123888.jpg) > “My work is a contemporary call to arms. It is time to get our mojo back. To rediscover our true north.” [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) ## 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 rally people to reclaim confidence and direction **In simple terms:** Art inspires confidence and purpose Key Takeaway Create work that energizes and guides Themes creativity empowerment direction Mood motivational provocative Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - gallery openings - community workshops - public murals Key Concepts cultural identity activist art Questions to Reflect On - How can art translate into concrete action? - What is your personal north? A Different Perspective Art alone may not change systemic issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [True north](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-north/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [There are elements to the 19th century which just don't work for contemporary audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/there-are-elements-to-the-19th-century-which-just-don-t-work-for/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [That's the trouble with, I think, my - the contemporary read of my work. So many people just simply say, "These are pretty pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/that-s-the-trouble-with-i-think-my-the-contemporary-read-of-my-work/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I got into acting because I wanted to act and I love acting. That's my true north: to be creative and to be challenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/i-got-into-acting-because-i-wanted-to-act-and-i-love-acting-that-s-my/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“We’re all looking for a trusted voice in the storm to help guide us -- one that can steer us toward the truth as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davia-temin/we-re-all-looking-for-a-trusted-voice-in-the-storm-to-help-guide-us/) Davia Temin > [I'm not an aspiring rapper, I'm not a gang member, I'm not a dope dealer, I don't have multiple babies momma's. I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dorner/i-m-not-an-aspiring-rapper-i-m-not-a-gang-member-i-m-not-a-dope/) Christopher Dorner > [“My moral compass no longer points true north. It's guided by circumstance and fate, neither conferring with the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marata-eros/my-moral-compass-no-longer-points-true-north-it-s-guided-by/) [Marata Eros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marata-eros/) > [“Always lost, always striking out in the wrong direction, always going around in circles. You have suffered from a life-long inability to orient yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/always-lost-always-striking-out-in-the-wrong-direction-always-going/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“True North is the internal compass that guides you successfully through life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-george/true-north-is-the-internal-compass-that-guides-you-successfully/) Bill George > [The vision is true north for the soul. It is a permanent, intuitive compass direction for a human being. Every person inevitably strays from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-g-bandy/the-vision-is-true-north-for-the-soul-it-is-a-permanent-intuitive/) Thomas G. Bandy > [“But the truly brilliant geocachers?" "Yeah?" he says. "What about us?" "They know it by its real name. Terra Firma." "Terra Firma," he repeats.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/but-the-truly-brilliant-geocachers-yeah-he-says-what-about-us-they/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“We don’t have to relive the sad and bad memories of Christmas Past. We can create new Christmas memories in the present for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-north/we-don-t-have-to-relive-the-sad-and-bad-memories-of-christmas-past-we/) Tom North > [Physical beauty wasn't the same as True Beauty, any more than pretty ugly meant truly ugly or Magnetic North meant True North.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/physical-beauty-wasn-t-the-same-as-true-beauty-any-more-than-pretty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nature's wisdom teaches us that where life is in motion, it's healthy; where it's stagnant, it's dying. But people have to interpret that journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-butterfly-hill/nature-s-wisdom-teaches-us-that-where-life-is-in-motion-it-s-healthy/) [Julia Butterfly Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-butterfly-hill/) > [We believe in the dignity of every life, the possibility of every mind, the divinity of every soul. This is our true North.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-believe-in-the-dignity-of-every-life-the-possibility-of-every-mind/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [“Nora was the only thing that made sense. She was the only unchanging thing in my universe. She was my lodestar. No matter which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-habel/nora-was-the-only-thing-that-made-sense-she-was-the-only-unchanging/) [Lia Habel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-habel/) ## More by Kehinde Wiley > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The erotic and the art historical imagination is something that gets very little play when people talk about my work, and when they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/the-erotic-and-the-art-historical-imagination-is-something-that-gets/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [One of the weirdest things that happened to artists and art criticism was this moment when everyone got cynical and stopped believing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/one-of-the-weirdest-things-that-happened-to-artists-and-art-criticism/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [At its best, what art does is, it points to who we as human beings and what we as human beings value. And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/at-its-best-what-art-does-is-it-points-to-who-we-as-human-beings-and/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [My style is in the 21st century. If you look at the process, it goes from photography through Photoshop, where certain features are heightened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/my-style-is-in-the-21st-century-if-you-look-at-the-process-it-goes/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I think the world that I grew up in was like being in this sort of magical artistic garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-think-the-world-that-i-grew-up-in-was-like-being-in-this-sort-of/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [It was something that came sort of matter-of-factually. Because there - it's like really - real honest engagement with the people around me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/it-was-something-that-came-sort-of-matter-of-factually-because-there/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Painting is situational. And my particular situation exists within gender, race, class, sexuality, nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/painting-is-situational-and-my-particular-situation-exists-within/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [There were certain expectations that were assumed of me as a young black American 20th-century - then 20th-century artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/there-were-certain-expectations-that-were-assumed-of-me-as-a-young/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I think, something that you might be able to locate in the work that I'm creating today: the ability to look at a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-think-something-that-you-might-be-able-to-locate-in-the-work-that-i/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I remember the first time I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and saw a Kerry James Marshall painting with black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-remember-the-first-time-i-went-to-the-los-angeles-county-museum-of/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I believe that artists should be part of the culture. I think that my work clearly bears that out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-believe-that-artists-should-be-part-of-the-culture-i-think-that-my/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [I guess art is in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-guess-art-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Just physically, if you looked at the house that I grew up in, my mother created this greenhouse. And surrounded the entire property. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/just-physically-if-you-looked-at-the-house-that-i-grew-up-in-my/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) [Explore all 275 Kehinde Wiley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My work is a contemporary call to arms. It is time to get our mojo back. 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