---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's nothing more tragic than artists…"
description: "\"There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s still doing art from the 70s.\" — Marina Abramovic"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg"
---

#  There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s…

![“There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s still doing art from the 70s.” quote by Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg)

> “There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s still doing art from the 70s.”

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

## About This Quote

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

Artists clinging to outdated styles hinder artistic evolution.

**In simple terms:** Sticking to old trends limits growth.

Key Takeaway

Embrace innovation over nostalgia.

Themes

art culture change

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

- gallery exhibitions
- music production
- fashion design

Key Concepts

postmodernism creative stagnation

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives creators to repeat past successes?
- How can audiences support fresh expressions?

A Different Perspective

Nostalgia can be a comforting but limiting force.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/)

## Related quotes

> [I've been criticized by my generation, artists from the '70s - and there's nothing more tragic than artists from the '70s still doing art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-ve-been-criticized-by-my-generation-artists-from-the-70s-and-there/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [There are a lot of middle of the road artists of the '70s, who aren't being played anyplace. I think it's unfortunate in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-murray/there-are-a-lot-of-middle-of-the-road-artists-of-the-70s-who-aren-t/)

[Anne Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-murray/)

> [ One of the main things that differentiates them \[artists of 70s\] from artists before is that they made albums based on the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-spooky/one-of-the-main-things-that-differentiates-them-artists-of-70s-from/)

[DJ Spooky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-spooky/)

> [I'm thinking to myself, I just love doing the art, it takes me a morning to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-campbell/i-m-thinking-to-myself-i-just-love-doing-the-art-it-takes-me-a/)

[Eddie Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-campbell/)

> [The great thing about doing art shows is you get to meet the people who are interested in your art, and I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stanley/the-great-thing-about-doing-art-shows-is-you-get-to-meet-the-people/)

[Paul Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stanley/)

> [Norman Rockwell spent his career painting pictures that helped people understand their own feelings...pictures that enriched their own experiences and celebrated their own lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bonner/norman-rockwell-spent-his-career-painting-pictures-that-helped-people/)

[Bill Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bonner/)

> [Doing art that has a happy ending, that doesn't seem really corny, is extremely difficult to pull off convincingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/doing-art-that-has-a-happy-ending-that-doesn-t-seem-really-corny-is/)

[Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/)

> [Doing my art came out of something very solitary and something that I had no intention of showing anybody, and yet once people saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stanley/doing-my-art-came-out-of-something-very-solitary-and-something-that-i/)

[Paul Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stanley/)

> [There was no point in doing art if you were going to be second-rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bram/there-was-no-point-in-doing-art-if-you-were-going-to-be-second-rate/)

[Christopher Bram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bram/)

> [I really want to continue doing art. I would love to go back to doing paintings one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-jacobson/i-really-want-to-continue-doing-art-i-would-love-to-go-back-to-doing/)

[Abbi Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-jacobson/)

> [There were decades I didn't play sober. I thought, Who would want to? But at some point, I decided that if it was important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/there-were-decades-i-didn-t-play-sober-i-thought-who-would-want-to/)

[Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/)

> [I've learned that I'm most powerful when I'm doing my art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-benjamin/i-ve-learned-that-i-m-most-powerful-when-i-m-doing-my-art/)

[Andre Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-benjamin/)

> [“The thing about being an artist," Dad said, folding his newspaper and setting it down on the table, "is that there are always going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/the-thing-about-being-an-artist-dad-said-folding-his-newspaper-and/)

[Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/)

> [But don't call me an actor. I'm just a worker. I am an entertainer. Don't say that what I am doing is art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-bardem/but-don-t-call-me-an-actor-i-m-just-a-worker-i-am-an-entertainer-don/)

[Javier Bardem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-bardem/)

> [If you can take something to levels that very few other people can reach, then what you're doing becomes art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-russell/if-you-can-take-something-to-levels-that-very-few-other-people-can/)

[Bill Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-russell/)

## More by Marina Abramovic

> [I really think there's no difference between an art piece made by a man and one made by a woman. Is it a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-really-think-there-s-no-difference-between-an-art-piece-made-by-a/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [I hate studios. A studio is a black hole. I never use a studio to work. It's very artificial to go to a studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-hate-studios-a-studio-is-a-black-hole-i-never-use-a-studio-to-work/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [In my work I have complete control, but about my life, I don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/in-my-work-i-have-complete-control-but-about-my-life-i-don-t-want-to/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [Performance is there, and if you are not there in that moment it happened, it just stays in the memory. It's so immaterial and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/performance-is-there-and-if-you-are-not-there-in-that-moment-it/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [I can explain my work to the cleaner or the president; it's all the same to me. I am very communist in this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-can-explain-my-work-to-the-cleaner-or-the-president-it-s-all-the/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [My memoirs are full of humor, I had to change jokes because it was a little too dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/my-memoirs-are-full-of-humor-i-had-to-change-jokes-because-it-was-a/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [To be in a magazine when you're 20 is okay, but when you do it when you're 65, it's much more fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/to-be-in-a-magazine-when-you-re-20-is-okay-but-when-you-do-it-when/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [Most of the time, the artists are not supposed to wear the fashion. It is always seen as a vanity. But I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/most-of-the-time-the-artists-are-not-supposed-to-wear-the-fashion-it/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [You know, art is very emotional business. But mostly it becomes not emotional, the fabric of commodity. It becomes business. It becomes so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/you-know-art-is-very-emotional-business-but-mostly-it-becomes-not/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [I didn't give any instruction to the video, because it was a new medium. I didn't know what to tell him; it was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/i-didn-t-give-any-instruction-to-the-video-because-it-was-a-new/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [If I'm not nervous, I'm nervous. You never know how people are going to receive the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/if-i-m-not-nervous-i-m-nervous-you-never-know-how-people-are-going-to/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [Today, our attention is less than the television advertisement. We're looking at six or seven problems constantly. We're living in the disturbed societies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/today-our-attention-is-less-than-the-television-advertisement-we-re/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [Art comes from life, not from the studio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/art-comes-from-life-not-from-the-studio/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [All the aggressive actions I do to myself I would never dream of doing in my own life - I am not this kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/all-the-aggressive-actions-i-do-to-myself-i-would-never-dream-of/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

> [It's so easy to do things you like. But then, the thing is, when you're afraid of something, face it; go for it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/it-s-so-easy-to-do-things-you-like-but-then-the-thing-is-when-you-re/)

[Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

[Explore all 234 Marina Abramovic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/)

## 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": "There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s still doing art from the 70s.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marina Abramovic"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists-from-the-70s-still-doing-art/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists-from-the-70s-still-doing-art/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/marina-abramovic-1502_art_there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists_2734370.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's nothing more tragic than artists from the 70s still doing art from the 70s.” — Marina Abramovic",
                "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": "Marina Abramovic",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's nothing more tragic than artists...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists-from-the-70s-still-doing-art/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/there-s-nothing-more-tragic-than-artists-from-the-70s-still-doing-art/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
