--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is not democratic. It is not for the…" description: "\"Art is not democratic. It is not for the people.\" — Richard Serra" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/richard-serra-17058_art_art-is-not-democratic-it-is-not-for-the_1166559.jpg" --- # Art is not democratic. It is not for the people. ![“Art is not democratic. It is not for the people.” quote by Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/richard-serra-17058_art_art-is-not-democratic-it-is-not-for-the_1166559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/richard-serra-17058_art_art-is-not-democratic-it-is-not-for-the_1166559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8f/richard-serra-17058_art_art-is-not-democratic-it-is-not-for-the_1166559.jpg) > “Art is not democratic. It is not for the people.” [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) ## 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 not a mass‑participation activity; it resists being reduced to popular taste or majority rule. **In simple terms:** Art resists mass appeal. Key Takeaway Respect art's autonomy. Themes art elitism democracy culture Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - public debate - media commentary Key Concepts aesthetic theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - Should art be for everyone? - What makes art elitist? A Different Perspective Some argue art should be accessible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-democratic-1870582/) [Art is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-is/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-people-231212/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [It does not seem that the contradiction which exists between the aristocratic function of art and the democratic structure of modern society can ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/it-does-not-seem-that-the-contradiction-which-exists-between-the/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [The art of manipulating public opinion, which is a necessary art for the democratic politician, and, like other arts, is sometimespractised with greater virtuosity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-art-of-manipulating-public-opinion-which-is-a-necessary-art-for/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The position of the Americans is quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-position-of-the-americans-is-quite-exceptional-and-it-may-be/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“Democracy is not a good by itself. 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It’s also mostly bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/passion-feels-very-democratic-it-is-the-people-s-talent-available-to/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [There is nothing more tyrannical than a strong popular feeling among a democratic people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/there-is-nothing-more-tyrannical-than-a-strong-popular-feeling-among/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) ## More by Richard Serra > [If your educe sculpture to the flat plane of the temporal experience of the work. (...) the experience of the work is inseparable from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/if-your-educe-sculpture-to-the-flat-plane-of-the-temporal-experience/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [I think this, I think basically I'm not interested in people following my work or making work like my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/i-think-this-i-think-basically-i-m-not-interested-in-people-following/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [If you reduce sculpture to the flat plane of the photograph, you're passing on only a residue of your concerns... You're not only reducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/if-you-reduce-sculpture-to-the-flat-plane-of-the-photograph-you-re/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Your eye is a muscle, you have to keep it in shape and the more you draw, the more you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/your-eye-is-a-muscle-you-have-to-keep-it-in-shape-and-the-more-you/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [The thing about rigging is, you can learn it if you become a master rigger but there's no book on rigging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/the-thing-about-rigging-is-you-can-learn-it-if-you-become-a-master/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [It could be that people want to consume sculpture the way they consume paintings - through photographs... I'm interested in the experience of sculpture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/it-could-be-that-people-want-to-consume-sculpture-the-way-they/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Work out of your work. Don't work out of anybody else's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/work-out-of-your-work-don-t-work-out-of-anybody-else-s-work/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Time and movement became really crucial to how I deal with what I deal with, not only sight and boundary but how one walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/time-and-movement-became-really-crucial-to-how-i-deal-with-what-i/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [I consider space to be a material. The articulation of space has come to take precedence over other concerns. I attempt to use sculptural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/i-consider-space-to-be-a-material-the-articulation-of-space-has-come/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Everything we choose in life for its lightness soon reveals its unbearable weight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/everything-we-choose-in-life-for-its-lightness-soon-reveals-its/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [I think different people have different problems and different relations to the exhibition of their work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/i-think-different-people-have-different-problems-and-different/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Now when you have administrators deciding what sexuality is, and what's a taboo and what's not in terms of content, you got guys, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/now-when-you-have-administrators-deciding-what-sexuality-is-and-what/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [I think you always have to find where the boundary is in relation to the context in order to be able to kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/i-think-you-always-have-to-find-where-the-boundary-is-in-relation-to/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [I was in analysis and I told my analyst I wanted to be the best sculptor in the world and he said, 'Richard, calm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/i-was-in-analysis-and-i-told-my-analyst-i-wanted-to-be-the-best/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) > [Basically, what you really want to do is try to engage the viewer's body relation to his thinking and walking and looking, without being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-serra/basically-what-you-really-want-to-do-is-try-to-engage-the-viewer-s/) [Richard Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) [Explore all 38 Richard Serra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-serra/) ## 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. 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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