--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd bought a lot of really challenging…" description: "\"I'd bought a lot of really challenging, cutting-edge Joel-Peter Witkin photographs very early on. There were severed heads and amputated feet and hands..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/richard-gere-3534_artistic_i-d-bought-a-lot-of-really-challenging-c_2122250.jpg" --- # I'd bought a lot of really challenging, cutting-edge… ![“I'd bought a lot of really challenging, cutting-edge Joel-Peter Witkin photographs very early on. There were severed heads and amputated feet and hands in them - gruesome stuff. I had them all around the house, and if someone couldn't relate to it in some artistic way and instead just said "Yuck,"…” quote by Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/richard-gere-3534_artistic_i-d-bought-a-lot-of-really-challenging-c_2122250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/richard-gere-3534_artistic_i-d-bought-a-lot-of-really-challenging-c_2122250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/richard-gere-3534_artistic_i-d-bought-a-lot-of-really-challenging-c_2122250.jpg) > “I'd bought a lot of really challenging, cutting-edge Joel-Peter Witkin photographs very early on. There were severed heads and amputated feet and hands in them - gruesome stuff. I had them all around the house, and if someone couldn't relate to it in some artistic way and instead just said "Yuck," then there probably wouldn't have been anywhere for us to go.” [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The collector acquired provocative, avant‑garde photographs, recognizing their artistic value despite potential public revulsion, and defended their place in personal and cultural discourse. **In simple terms:** He valued challenging art even if others found it disturbing. Key Takeaway Support art that pushes boundaries. Themes art controversy personal taste collection expression Mood reflective defensive thought‑provoking Type analytical defensive When to use this quote - gallery displays - private collections - art education - public debates - curatorial decisions Key Concepts Avant‑garde photography censorship aesthetic judgment Questions to Reflect On - Why defend uncomfortable art? - How does shock serve artistic purpose? A Different Perspective Public discomfort can limit exposure and acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Cutting edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting-edge/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Yuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yuck/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh, and I died horribly at your hands. Gruesome murder is always a foundation for a beautiful friendship!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-kincaid/oh-and-i-died-horribly-at-your-hands-gruesome-murder-is-always-a/) [S.J. Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-kincaid/) > [Every time new technology is introduced, especially involving reproduction, you get the 'yuck' effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-boisselier/every-time-new-technology-is-introduced-especially-involving/) [Brigitte Boisselier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-boisselier/) > [I've never really been interested in the vintage photos people pay lots of money for -- civil war tintypes or old daguerrotypes of famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-ve-never-really-been-interested-in-the-vintage-photos-people-pay/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [When it comes to taking genes from viruses and bacteria and putting them into plants, people say 'Yuck! Why would scientists do that?' Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-ronald/when-it-comes-to-taking-genes-from-viruses-and-bacteria-and-putting/) Pamela Ronald > [There are only two mantras, yum and yuck, mine is yum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-only-two-mantras-yum-and-yuck-mine-is-yum/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Leah: "That is easily the freakin’ grossest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Yuck. If there was anything in my stomach, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/leah-that-is-easily-the-freakin-grossest-thing-i-ve-ever-heard-in-my/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [The Fomorians skittered backward, away from me, looking justifiably confused. I mean, really, how many human women actually run to them? And I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fomorians-skittered-backward-away-from-me-looking-justifiably/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Grammy asshole weekend in LA. Yuck ... The Grammys = the old guard / old media propping up their puppets trying to convince the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/grammy-asshole-weekend-in-la-yuck-the-grammys-the-old-guard-old-media/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [A field trip. You interested in doing something dangerous, and possibly illegal?" Does it involve underage girls, broken curfews and soorte4d fruit toppings?" I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/a-field-trip-you-interested-in-doing-something-dangerous-and-possibly/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [I've seen little pieces of 'Interview with a Vampire' when it was on TV, but I kind of always go yuck! I don't watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-ve-seen-little-pieces-of-interview-with-a-vampire-when-it-was-on-tv/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Homo sapiens Yuck You contemporary fools laugh at religious and political lies spewed by sociopaths, lies that tether you forever to poverty and mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-miller/homo-sapiens-yuck-you-contemporary-fools-laugh-at-religious-and/) Bobby Miller > [Luckily, I was raised by people whod already seen all the yuck stuff, which is why they originally didnt want me to act. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-dern/luckily-i-was-raised-by-people-whod-already-seen-all-the-yuck-stuff/) [Laura Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-dern/) > [I think it was a big revelation to me earlier in my life that people who appear to be evil are actually not. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-think-it-was-a-big-revelation-to-me-earlier-in-my-life-that-people/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [So someday in the near future hopefully rather than having a foot or a leg amputated we'll just give you an injection of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lanza/so-someday-in-the-near-future-hopefully-rather-than-having-a-foot-or/) [Robert Lanza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lanza/) ## More by Richard Gere > [Anything that's expanding the mind and heart is happiness. But it's not a goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/anything-that-s-expanding-the-mind-and-heart-is-happiness-but-it-s/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [People have a different idea of how movies are made than they really are. On a certain level, everyone throws ideas into the hopper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/people-have-a-different-idea-of-how-movies-are-made-than-they-really/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [ Julia \[Roberts\]. She's got two kids and animals, and I think she's a night nibbler. There'd be crumbs everywhere. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/julia-roberts-she-s-got-two-kids-and-animals-and-i-think-she-s-a/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I meditate. Daily practice is essential to my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-meditate-daily-practice-is-essential-to-my-life/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [Things come out of nowhere, and you start evaluating the director, the cast, and all those other things going into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/things-come-out-of-nowhere-and-you-start-evaluating-the-director-the/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I'm a 50 year-old guy and I'm not in shape like I was when I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-m-a-50-year-old-guy-and-i-m-not-in-shape-like-i-was-when-i-was-30/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [It's nice to have money, but the first thing I did with money was buy my father a snow-blower, because my job was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/it-s-nice-to-have-money-but-the-first-thing-i-did-with-money-was-buy/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I meet human beings who are flawed, who are mentally ill and have enormous problems, but I don't think I've ever met someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-meet-human-beings-who-are-flawed-who-are-mentally-ill-and-have/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [Relationships are like sharks. They've got to keep going into deeper, colder water, sometimes scarier, darker territories ... to stay alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/relationships-are-like-sharks-they-ve-got-to-keep-going-into-deeper/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [One of the joys of being an actor is that you're always learning new things. And I've been doing this since I was 19,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/one-of-the-joys-of-being-an-actor-is-that-you-re-always-learning-new/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I think people do want to relate their entertainment to what's going on in their lives. Not everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-think-people-do-want-to-relate-their-entertainment-to-what-s-going/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I can see the character in a photograph, in the way a guy stands or holds his hands, the way he buckles his belt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/i-can-see-the-character-in-a-photograph-in-the-way-a-guy-stands-or/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [Certainly there have been better actors than me who have had no careers. Why? I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/certainly-there-have-been-better-actors-than-me-who-have-had-no/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [My first encounter with Buddhist dharma would be in my early 20s. Like most young men, I was not particularly happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/my-first-encounter-with-buddhist-dharma-would-be-in-my-early-20s-like/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [The reality is, we can change. We can change ourselves. We can change our minds. We can change our hearts... and therefore the Universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/the-reality-is-we-can-change-we-can-change-ourselves-we-can-change/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) [Explore all 128 Richard Gere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) ## More Artistic quotes > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [We don't make glamorous movies today. Everything now is very realistic, artistic - and depressing. When is the last time you you saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/we-don-t-make-glamorous-movies-today-everything-now-is-very-realistic/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [Unfortunately, moral beauty in art - like physical beauty in a person - is extremely perishable. It is nowhere so durable as artistic or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/unfortunately-moral-beauty-in-art-like-physical-beauty-in-a-person-is/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [It took me a long time to get to where I am, but I am here and it is everywhere I want to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-get-to-where-i-am-but-i-am-here-and-it-is/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) > [When we idealize the real, we sacrifice to artistic fancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fuseli/when-we-idealize-the-real-we-sacrifice-to-artistic-fancy/) [Henry Fuseli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fuseli/) > [For now, I'm supposing that all movements are equal, which they're not, except in this respect: that none of them gives a damn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/for-now-i-m-supposing-that-all-movements-are-equal-which-they-re-not/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [At a time when painting itself often seems to be a threatened, even despised, form of artistic activity, Andrew Salgado emerges as a dazzlingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucie-smith/at-a-time-when-painting-itself-often-seems-to-be-a-threatened-even/) Edward Lucie-Smith > [I think once the artistic world of the type designer merged with the scientific world of the computer programmer, you began to see this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bierut/i-think-once-the-artistic-world-of-the-type-designer-merged-with-the/) [Michael Bierut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bierut/) > [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/) > [Writers and musicians know well the importance of extensive reading for successful writing or extensive listening for musical composition. Likewise, visual artists... understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laseau/writers-and-musicians-know-well-the-importance-of-extensive-reading/) [Paul Laseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laseau/) > [Being a Catholic, I was drawn to the mystery of the Latin and the smoke and the mirrors and all of that. That part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/being-a-catholic-i-was-drawn-to-the-mystery-of-the-latin-and-the/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [It is, of course, a luxury to create art and, on top of this, to insist on expressing one's own artistic opinion. Nothing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-beckmann/it-is-of-course-a-luxury-to-create-art-and-on-top-of-this-to-insist/) [Max Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-beckmann/) > [Niches set back in the walls contained polished marble statues of entwined bodies. Will looked away from them hastily, and then back. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/niches-set-back-in-the-walls-contained-polished-marble-statues-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) [Browse all 1,574 Artistic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd bought a lot of really challenging, cutting-edge Joel-Peter Witkin photographs very early on. There were severed heads and amputated feet and hands in them - gruesome stuff. 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