Art Quote by Kevin Simler
““The waste is important. It’s only by doing something that serves no concrete survival function that artists are able to advertise their survival surplus. An underground bunker stocked with food, guns, and ammo may have been expensive and difficult to build (especially if it was built by hand), and it may well reflect the skills and resources of its maker. But it’s not attractive in the same way art is. The bunker reflects a kind of desperation of an animal worried about its survival, rather than the easy assurance of an animal with more resources than it knows what to do with. Thus impracticality is a feature of all art forms. But we can see it with special clarity in those art forms that need to distinguish themselves from closely related practical endeavors.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Waste of Art, Kevin Simler, 2020
Art’s value lies in its impracticality, which reveals surplus creativity beyond mere survival needs.
In simple terms: Impractical art shows excess creativity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace non‑functional creativity.
Themes
creativity
surplus
impracticality
art vs utility
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- design projects
- public installations
- experimental performances
- DIY community spaces
Key Concepts
aesthetic theory
resource allocation
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does wasteful creation benefit society?
- When is impracticality justified?
A Different Perspective
Impractical works may be dismissed as wasteful or inaccessible.
