--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't believe in art. I believe in…" description: "\"I don't believe in art. I believe in artists.\" — Marcel Duchamp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/marcel-duchamp-2390_art_i-don-t-believe-in-art-i-believe-in-arti_1589873.jpg" --- # I don't believe in art. I believe in artists. ![“I don't believe in art. I believe in artists.” quote by Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/marcel-duchamp-2390_art_i-don-t-believe-in-art-i-believe-in-arti_1589873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/marcel-duchamp-2390_art_i-don-t-believe-in-art-i-believe-in-arti_1589873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/marcel-duchamp-2390_art_i-don-t-believe-in-art-i-believe-in-arti_1589873.jpg) > “I don't believe in art. I believe in artists.” [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art is secondary to the creator; the artist’s vision defines value more than the medium. **In simple terms:** Artists matter more than art itself. Key Takeaway Focus on nurturing creators. Themes creativity authorship value Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery curation - art education - creative collaboration Key Concepts Aesthetic theory artist identity Questions to Reflect On - How does the artist’s intent shape your perception? - What role does the medium play in meaning? A Different Perspective Art can be constrained by market forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) ## Related quotes > [I think…to give. In the best way I can, through song and through dance and through music. I mean, I am committed to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-think-to-give-in-the-best-way-i-can-through-song-and-through-dance/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I will die for the art & what I believe in. The art ain't always gon' be polite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-will-die-for-the-art-what-i-believe-in-the-art-ain-t-always-gon-be/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Maybe this is a utopian view of art but I do believe that art can function as a vehicle, that it isn't just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/maybe-this-is-a-utopian-view-of-art-but-i-do-believe-that-art-can/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [I am committed to my art. I believe that all art has as its ultimate goal the union between the material and the spiritual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-am-committed-to-my-art-i-believe-that-all-art-has-as-its-ultimate/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I believe in God, Mozart and Beethoven, and likewise their disciples and apostles; - I believe in the Holy Spirit and the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wagner/i-believe-in-god-mozart-and-beethoven-and-likewise-their-disciples/) [Richard Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wagner/) > [I believe in art that is connected to real human feeling, that extends itself beyond the limits of the art world to embrace all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-chicago/i-believe-in-art-that-is-connected-to-real-human-feeling-that-extends/) [Judy Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-chicago/) > [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 believe in art, and more fundamentally the freedom to express one's self creatively. People don't know yet what they'll ultimately believe in or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-soehnlein/i-believe-in-art-and-more-fundamentally-the-freedom-to-express-one-s/) [K. M. Soehnlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-soehnlein/) > [The voice of painterly integrity spoke to me. And the idea was that one would find this anguish, or whatever, and construct it into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-morley/the-voice-of-painterly-integrity-spoke-to-me-and-the-idea-was-that/) [Malcolm Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-morley/) > [I believe, as artists, I do think we have a responsibility, and there's also a place for a lot of different artists. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goapele/i-believe-as-artists-i-do-think-we-have-a-responsibility-and-there-s/) [Goapele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goapele/) > [I hate to sound like a romantic adolescent, but I believe artists don't generally see art as a career choice; they simply can't overcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-saatchi/i-hate-to-sound-like-a-romantic-adolescent-but-i-believe-artists-don/) [Charles Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-saatchi/) > [It's sad that some people still believe that artists die poor. This is not the case in this day and age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/it-s-sad-that-some-people-still-believe-that-artists-die-poor-this-is/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [“The core of every artist, brand, or organization is believability. I believe Basquiat, Kahlo, Mahler, and Hemingway because they stuck to their core values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-judkins/the-core-of-every-artist-brand-or-organization-is-believability-i/) [Rod Judkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-judkins/) > [“And mostly I believe the artists further the systematic murder of the real”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lee/and-mostly-i-believe-the-artists-further-the-systematic-murder-of-the/) Dennis Lee > [I don't believe that artists really are interested in money. That's not the motivation for art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/i-don-t-believe-that-artists-really-are-interested-in-money-that-s/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) ## More by Marcel Duchamp > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Humor is the only reason to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/humor-is-the-only-reason-to-live/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Society takes what it wants. The artist himself does not count, because there is no actual existence for the work of art. The work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/society-takes-what-it-wants-the-artist-himself-does-not-count-because/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-creative-act-is-not-performed-by-the-artist-alone-the-spectator/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I believe that the artist doesn't know what he does. I attach even more importance to the spectator than to the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/i-believe-that-the-artist-doesn-t-know-what-he-does-i-attach-even/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Living is more a question of what one spends than what one makes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/living-is-more-a-question-of-what-one-spends-than-what-one-makes/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Rational intelligence is dangerous and leads to ratiocination. The painter is a medium who doesn't realize what he is doing. No translation can express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/rational-intelligence-is-dangerous-and-leads-to-ratiocination-the/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Everything important that I have done can be put into a little suitcase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/everything-important-that-i-have-done-can-be-put-into-a-little/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [As soon as we start putting our thoughts into words and sentences everything gets distorted, language is just no damn good—I use it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/as-soon-as-we-start-putting-our-thoughts-into-words-and-sentences/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [The basis for my own work during the years just before coming to America in 1915 was a desire to break up forms -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-basis-for-my-own-work-during-the-years-just-before-coming-to/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [The curious thing about that moustache and goatee is that when you look at the Mona Lisa it becomes a man. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-curious-thing-about-that-moustache-and-goatee-is-that-when-you/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I am afraid to end up being in need to sell canvases - in other words, to be a society painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/i-am-afraid-to-end-up-being-in-need-to-sell-canvases-in-other-words/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [In the midst of each epoch, I fully realize that a new epoch will dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/in-the-midst-of-each-epoch-i-fully-realize-that-a-new-epoch-will-dawn/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [To all appearances the artist acts like a mediumistic being who, from the labyrinth beyond time and space, seeks his way out to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/to-all-appearances-the-artist-acts-like-a-mediumistic-being-who-from/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Words such as truth, art, veracity, or anything are stupid in themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/words-such-as-truth-art-veracity-or-anything-are-stupid-in-themselves/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) [Explore all 169 Marcel Duchamp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) ## 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 > [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": "I don't believe in art. 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