---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the artist's responsibility to be…"
description: "\"It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to abstract where you are - that is our responsibility - we're not there to look glamorous. We're t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg"
---

#  It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to…

![“It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to abstract where you are - that is our responsibility - we're not there to look glamorous. We're there to tune into the frequency of the Earth and the connective tissues of those things that we are responding to - language, colour, costume…” quote by Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg)

> “It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to abstract where you are - that is our responsibility - we're not there to look glamorous. We're there to tune into the frequency of the Earth and the connective tissues of those things that we are responding to - language, colour, costume, literature, poetry, cuisine, perfume - these are the things that make up the desire to throw paint on a canvas, these are the things that create the excitement for building a new language!”

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Artists must act as conduits, tuning into the world’s frequencies and translating them into new expressive languages.

**In simple terms:** Artists translate the world into art.

Key Takeaway

Listen deeply, then create.

Themes

creativity responsibility connection expression

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical artistic

When to use this quote

- painting
- music composition
- design
- cultural projects

Key Concepts

aesthetic theory cultural synthesis interdisciplinary art

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you stay grounded while creating?
- What frequencies do you hear in everyday life?

A Different Perspective

The expectation of constant inspiration can be overwhelming.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Excitement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excitement/) [Glamorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glamorous/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/)

## Related quotes

> [We have a responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/we-have-a-responsibility-to-look-after-our-planet-it-is-our-only-home/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Whoever knows me is aware that I always assume responsibility and look for solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-laporta/whoever-knows-me-is-aware-that-i-always-assume-responsibility-and/)

[Joan Laporta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-laporta/)

> [In Hollywood, you feel a responsibility to look less disheveled than you are. But I'm a mom, and I'm not good at putting time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isla-fisher/in-hollywood-you-feel-a-responsibility-to-look-less-disheveled-than/)

[Isla Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isla-fisher/)

> [Working together, they will dig out the truth and nothing but the truth about what happened in '99, to assign responsibility, and to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/working-together-they-will-dig-out-the-truth-and-nothing-but-the/)

[Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/)

> [As a science-fiction writer, I feel my responsibility is to look ahead and see the dangers of what might happen and try to warn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-sagan/as-a-science-fiction-writer-i-feel-my-responsibility-is-to-look-ahead/)

[Nick Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-sagan/)

> [“It is our responsibility to look for meaning in life, even in the darkest times, and whatever the circumstances we always have a vestige…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/it-is-our-responsibility-to-look-for-meaning-in-life-even-in-the/)

[Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/)

> [I have a responsibility to not look crazy in public. I don't want to be the person where later in life when I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-symone/i-have-a-responsibility-to-not-look-crazy-in-public-i-don-t-want-to/)

[Raven-Symone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-symone/)

> [When you're playing Marilyn Monroe, you have a responsibility to look and sound like her that you don't when you're playing people who weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/when-you-re-playing-marilyn-monroe-you-have-a-responsibility-to-look/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [Being on camera, you have a responsibility to look good. If you don't, you'll hear about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/being-on-camera-you-have-a-responsibility-to-look-good-if-you-don-t/)

[Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/)

> [We have that responsibility to look out for those who haven't had the road and the success that we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-jenkins/we-have-that-responsibility-to-look-out-for-those-who-haven-t-had-the/)

[Malcolm Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-jenkins/)

> [An uninspiring canvas becomes a glamorous masterpiece when it is reattributed to a better-known artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/an-uninspiring-canvas-becomes-a-glamorous-masterpiece-when-it-is/)

[Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/)

> [A martial artist has to take responsibility for himself and accept the consequences of his own doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/a-martial-artist-has-to-take-responsibility-for-himself-and-accept/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [To be an artist is to take responsibility for the world's destiny. You shape it by your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-gartel/to-be-an-artist-is-to-take-responsibility-for-the-world-s-destiny-you/)

[Laurence Gartel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-gartel/)

> [An artist's responsibility is a lot. I can't deny and escape from the responsibility. You have to be very guarded about your personal behaviour,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiranjeevi/an-artist-s-responsibility-is-a-lot-i-can-t-deny-and-escape-from-the/)

[Chiranjeevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiranjeevi/)

> [In the interests of everyone the artist had a responsibility to use his medium well. In the Tibetan culture, most of the paintings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/in-the-interests-of-everyone-the-artist-had-a-responsibility-to-use/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

## More by Lisa Gerrard

> [With touring, it's like you're in this car and you've got this much fuel. You know that if you drive carefully and take your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/with-touring-it-s-like-you-re-in-this-car-and-you-ve-got-this-much/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [There's fatigue but also a deliberate desire to want to reach absolute perfection at every concert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/there-s-fatigue-but-also-a-deliberate-desire-to-want-to-reach/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [There's something extremely fragile about musicians, and that's their strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/there-s-something-extremely-fragile-about-musicians-and-that-s-their/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [The second and sometimes most important part of the creative process is performing it live, so that the work can evolve to a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/the-second-and-sometimes-most-important-part-of-the-creative-process/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [I feel connected to every other creative element because I have a creative soul. My isolation is not through the work it's through not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/i-feel-connected-to-every-other-creative-element-because-i-have-a/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [A true collaboration is trickier than a marriage because you can't hide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/a-true-collaboration-is-trickier-than-a-marriage-because-you-can-t/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [There's the false security of feeling a great force of love from your audience one day and then the next morning you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/there-s-the-false-security-of-feeling-a-great-force-of-love-from-your/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [Years ago I sang on a track using that voice and someone asked, 'Who is that terribly depressed man' ... But Patrick loved it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/years-ago-i-sang-on-a-track-using-that-voice-and-someone-asked-who-is/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [We always have a basic structure for a piece of music, but we encourage the musicians to elaborate on whatever they feel at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/we-always-have-a-basic-structure-for-a-piece-of-music-but-we/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [Silence is so important when you're working, You must have periods where you don't hear anything, just to reflect on you've already done. Otherwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/silence-is-so-important-when-you-re-working-you-must-have-periods/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [I suppose musicians have the kind of arrogant attitude that they can actually offer the world something, because through their passive power, they're able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/i-suppose-musicians-have-the-kind-of-arrogant-attitude-that-they-can/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [Music is a place to take refuge. It's a sanctuary from mediocrity and boredom. It's innocent and it's a place you can lose yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/music-is-a-place-to-take-refuge-it-s-a-sanctuary-from-mediocrity-and/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

> [The words are in my own internal language, and mean more than I could ever explain,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/the-words-are-in-my-own-internal-language-and-mean-more-than-i-could/)

[Lisa Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

[Explore all 14 Lisa Gerrard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/)

## More Abstract quotes

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/)

[Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/)

> [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/)

[Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/)

> [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/)

[Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/)

> [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/)

[Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/)

> [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/)

[Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/)

> [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/)

[Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/)

> [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/)

[Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/)

> [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/)

Anthony W. Ivins

> [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/)

[Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/)

> [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/)

[Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/)

> [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/)

[Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/)

> [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/)

[Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/)

> [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/)

[Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/)

[Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to abstract where you are - that is our responsibility - we're not there to look glamorous. We're there to tune into the frequency of the Earth and the connective tissues of those things that we are responding to - language, colour, costume, literature, poetry, cuisine, perfume - these are the things that make up the desire to throw paint on a canvas, these are the things that create the excitement for building a new language!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Gerrard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be-the-oracle-to-abstract-where/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abstract"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be-the-oracle-to-abstract-where/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/lisa-gerrard-34028_abstract_it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be_3230916.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is the artist's responsibility to be the oracle, to abstract where you are - that is our responsibility…” — Lisa Gerrard",
                "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": "Lisa Gerrard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gerrard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is the artist's responsibility to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be-the-oracle-to-abstract-where/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gerrard/it-is-the-artist-s-responsibility-to-be-the-oracle-to-abstract-where/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
