--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is…" description: "\"The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is very difficult to hang because it is so large and the quality is very varied. There are 1,200 works, an almost i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/michael-craig-martin-9157_academy_the-royal-academy-summer-exhibition-is-v_1249165.jpg" --- # The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is very difficult to… ![“The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is very difficult to hang because it is so large and the quality is very varied. There are 1,200 works, an almost impossible number, some are interesting and some are not.” quote by Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/michael-craig-martin-9157_academy_the-royal-academy-summer-exhibition-is-v_1249165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/michael-craig-martin-9157_academy_the-royal-academy-summer-exhibition-is-v_1249165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/michael-craig-martin-9157_academy_the-royal-academy-summer-exhibition-is-v_1249165.jpg) > “The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is very difficult to hang because it is so large and the quality is very varied. There are 1,200 works, an almost impossible number, some are interesting and some are not.” [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The exhibition’s massive scale and varied quality make curating challenging, with many works ranging from compelling to mediocre. **In simple terms:** Large, diverse shows are hard to organize and evaluate. Key Takeaway Focus on curatorial vision to navigate scale and variety. Themes curation scale quality artistic diversity challenge Mood analytical pragmatic Type critical educational When to use this quote - gallery management - art education - public programming Key Concepts exhibition planning art criticism selection process Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which works to feature? - What criteria ensure coherence in large shows? A Different Perspective Balancing inclusivity with quality can dilute overall impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Exhibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhibition/) [Exhibitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhibitions/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) ## Related quotes > [I look at the character of the exhibition and I treat it as I would a painting or an installation. When I did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-look-at-the-character-of-the-exhibition-and-i-treat-it-as-i-would-a/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [Usually when I go to the Summer Exhibition, I think every room is too much the same, and I loose my capacity to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/usually-when-i-go-to-the-summer-exhibition-i-think-every-room-is-too/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I think that the exchange is very important. Before I did the exhibition in Shanghai, I was a judge for the John Moores Painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-think-that-the-exchange-is-very-important-before-i-did-the/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [My idea for every exhibition is we should be able to see every individual work without being distracted by the others, and it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/my-idea-for-every-exhibition-is-we-should-be-able-to-see-every/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [It is very difficult to hang onto the relics of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/it-is-very-difficult-to-hang-onto-the-relics-of-history/) [Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/) > [We're living in a new Beat time, in my view. And it's very difficult for us to hang on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/we-re-living-in-a-new-beat-time-in-my-view-and-it-s-very-difficult/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) > [An exhibition is in many ways a series of conversations. Between the artist and viewer, curator and viewer, and between the works of art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-golden/an-exhibition-is-in-many-ways-a-series-of-conversations-between-the/) [Thelma Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-golden/) > [If one or two works from a body of work for an exhibition are what you would like to be remembered by, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bellamy-foster/if-one-or-two-works-from-a-body-of-work-for-an-exhibition-are-what/) [John Bellamy Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bellamy-foster/) > [If it were possible for any one person or group of persons to go through a photographic finishing plant's work at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-steichen/if-it-were-possible-for-any-one-person-or-group-of-persons-to-go/) [Edward Steichen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-steichen/) > [I'd prefer to invite the artists simply to work and have fun with Guatemalan artists. To share missions of life. Maybe that is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gonzalez/i-d-prefer-to-invite-the-artists-simply-to-work-and-have-fun-with/) [Luis Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gonzalez/) > [I have always thought that it would be nice to not complete the exhibition in one place and close off the others as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/i-have-always-thought-that-it-would-be-nice-to-not-complete-the/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [ I planned the exhibition so that it becomes a story where the viewer travels through these islands \[of ideas\]. Whether the contents of each… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/i-planned-the-exhibition-so-that-it-becomes-a-story-where-the-viewer/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [When you're playing an exhibition, you're kind of letting everyone get an opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/when-you-re-playing-an-exhibition-you-re-kind-of-letting-everyone-get/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [My works are dear to me, each in its own way, I shall have to answer for them on the Day off Judgement. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/my-works-are-dear-to-me-each-in-its-own-way-i-shall-have-to-answer/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [I am happy to exhibit, but not to put myself on exhibition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/i-am-happy-to-exhibit-but-not-to-put-myself-on-exhibition/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) ## More by Michael Craig-Martin > [You can't honour someone by copying them or trying to be exactly like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/you-can-t-honour-someone-by-copying-them-or-trying-to-be-exactly-like/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [There is a complete difference between art and the art market. Prices are high now for the simple reason that there are people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/there-is-a-complete-difference-between-art-and-the-art-market-prices/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I had my exhibition of paintings first in Shanghai, and then recently in Wuhan. Wuhan particularly interested me, because I am 1/8 Chinese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-had-my-exhibition-of-paintings-first-in-shanghai-and-then-recently/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I try to make images that have the immediate presence we take for granted in objects - a chair, a shoe, a book, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-try-to-make-images-that-have-the-immediate-presence-we-take-for/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [You can see in my paintings, I've taken away the context, I've taken away the shadows, I've taken away expression, I've taken away the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/you-can-see-in-my-paintings-i-ve-taken-away-the-context-i-ve-taken/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [When I told people that I was going to paint the big room magenta, many people thought that I was crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/when-i-told-people-that-i-was-going-to-paint-the-big-room-magenta/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I don't like the idea of nationalism, but on the other hand, I do see that there is a difference between British art, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-nationalism-but-on-the-other-hand-i-do-see/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I was poorer than anyone I'd ever met. But it was a great time to be a young artist - I remember it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-was-poorer-than-anyone-i-d-ever-met-but-it-was-a-great-time-to-be-a/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [You can't force yourself to be something you are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/you-can-t-force-yourself-to-be-something-you-are-not/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [ \[I\] don't want people to see it \[paintings\] as a specific intention on my part. If somebody has that interest in these objects, of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-don-t-want-people-to-see-it-paintings-as-a-specific-intention-on-my/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [I've taken away everything I could think of, and yet what remains is enough. These days many more people come to my work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/i-ve-taken-away-everything-i-could-think-of-and-yet-what-remains-is/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [In the period of '60s to the '90s, British art schools were small, and the number of student was small. The personal contact was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/in-the-period-of-60s-to-the-90s-british-art-schools-were-small-and/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [It is very important to develop the thing that you are naturally good at, that you are truly interested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/it-is-very-important-to-develop-the-thing-that-you-are-naturally-good/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [The person you admire was true to himself. You can only truly honour him by being true to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/the-person-you-admire-was-true-to-himself-you-can-only-truly-honour/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) > [The art world, of all worlds, has room for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-craig-martin/the-art-world-of-all-worlds-has-room-for-everyone/) [Michael Craig-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) [Explore all 75 Michael Craig-Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-craig-martin/) ## More Academy quotes > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I realized early on that the academy and the literary world alike - and I don't think there really is a distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/i-realized-early-on-that-the-academy-and-the-literary-world-alike-and/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [“Step Up Academy offers a conducive, encouraging, comfortable environment for children to step up their learning and achieve success. Our students progress within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerthiga-manokumar/step-up-academy-offers-a-conducive-encouraging-comfortable/) Kerthiga Manokumar > [I remember when I first won the Academy Award and how much I loved it. I just wish there was an award around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-woodward/i-remember-when-i-first-won-the-academy-award-and-how-much-i-loved-it/) [Joanne Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-woodward/) > [Few years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/few-years-ago-i-said-something-about-the-academy-being-very-white/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [I think that no matter whether you're Quentin Tarantino or any other kind of a rebel, or whatever, everyone who makes movies still wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/i-think-that-no-matter-whether-you-re-quentin-tarantino-or-any-other/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [“Fuck Briarcrest Academy, and fuck you all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/fuck-briarcrest-academy-and-fuck-you-all/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [I don't really look forward to movie stardom or doing a $200-million movie or winning an Academy Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-don-t-really-look-forward-to-movie-stardom-or-doing-a-200-million/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [I am an outsider looking in, absolutely. You're not going to see me at the Academy Awards 'Vanity Fair' party any time soon. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-am-an-outsider-looking-in-absolutely-you-re-not-going-to-see-me-at/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [In all our academies we attempt far too much. ... 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