Art Quote by Lucy R. Lippard
““Looking at and 'appreciating' art has been understood as an instrument (or at best a result) of upward mobility, in which owning art is the ultimate step. making art is at the bottom of the scale. This is the only legitimate reason to see artists as so many artists see themselves - as 'workers'. At the same time, artists/makers tend to feel misunderstood and, as creators, innately superior to the buyers/owners. The innermost circle of the art-world class system thereby replaces the rulers with the creators, and the contemporary artist in the big city is a schizophrenic creature. S/he is persistently working 'up' to be accepted, not only by other artists, but also by the hierarchy that exhibits, writes about and buys his / her work. At the same time s/he is often ideologically working 'down' in an attempt to identify with the workers outside of the art context and to overthrow the rulers in the name of art.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Lucy R. Lippard, c. 1990
In the art world, owning art is seen as high status while making art is low, and artists feel like workers yet also superior, caught between seeking acceptance and identifying with outsiders.
In simple terms: Art world values buyers over makers, leaving artists caught between class roles.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how art-world status systems shape creative identity.
Themes
art
class
labor
hierarchy
creativity
capitalism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
critical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- arts careers
- institutional critique
- museum economics
Key Concepts
cultural capital
alienation
class consciousness
Questions to Reflect On
- Who profits most from art?
- How can artists support each other within hierarchies?
A Different Perspective
The binary of workers and rulers may oversimplify diverse art-world relationships.
