---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Exotic novelty. My statement to [people]…"
description: "\"Exotic novelty. My statement to [people] is always, well, set this picture in your home town, is it still an interesting picture? Or is it just exotic?..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png"
---

#  Exotic novelty. My statement to \[people\] is always, well…

![“Exotic novelty. My statement to &#91;people&#93; is always, well, set this picture in your home town, is it still an interesting picture? Or is it just exotic? Would I care about this same picture minus its exoticism?” quote by Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png)

> “Exotic novelty. My statement to \[people\] is always, well, set this picture in your home town, is it still an interesting picture? Or is it just exotic? Would I care about this same picture minus its exoticism?”

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

## About This Quote

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

A work’s value depends on context; without exotic appeal, its interest may fade.

**In simple terms:** Context determines interest.

Key Takeaway

Consider the setting of images.

Themes

art perception context exoticism value

Mood

contemplative inquisitive analytical

Type

reflective critical

When to use this quote

- gallery curation
- personal photography
- marketing
- education

Key Concepts

aesthetic judgment cultural relevance visual storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes an image compelling beyond novelty?
- Does removing exoticism change its impact?

A Different Perspective

Exotic labels can mask deeper meaning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Exotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exotic/) [Exoticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exoticism/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Home town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-town/) [Novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelty/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/)

## Related quotes

> [A picture, to be an interesting picture, must be more than a picture, otherwise it is only a reproduction of an object, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/a-picture-to-be-an-interesting-picture-must-be-more-than-a-picture/)

[Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/)

> [When the woman is attractive, is it an interesting picture, or is it the woman? I had a lot of headaches with that, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/when-the-woman-is-attractive-is-it-an-interesting-picture-or-is-it/)

[Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/)

> [It seemed to me that this might be a great pageant, which would give a chance for a very interesting picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ossawa-tanner/it-seemed-to-me-that-this-might-be-a-great-pageant-which-would-give-a/)

[Henry Ossawa Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ossawa-tanner/)

> [If it is not an interesting picture when in focus, it is not going to be a better picture out of focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-jay/if-it-is-not-an-interesting-picture-when-in-focus-it-is-not-going-to/)

[Bill Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-jay/)

> [“Exoticism was hard to find in Pullman, Washington. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/exoticism-was-hard-to-find-in-pullman-washington/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [Exoticism can give you an edge: it makes people assume you're cleverer than you are and gives you the upper hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/exoticism-can-give-you-an-edge-it-makes-people-assume-you-re-cleverer/)

[Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/)

> [“The exotic and the erotic ideals go hand in hand, and this fact also contributes another proof of a more or less obvious truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-praz/the-exotic-and-the-erotic-ideals-go-hand-in-hand-and-this-fact-also/)

Mario Praz

> [“It must be admitted that the West has reached a level of scientific mastery and outstanding specialisation. In its points of reference, this evolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/it-must-be-admitted-that-the-west-has-reached-a-level-of-scientific/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [Galleries in the West have probably been looking for exoticism. That's the reason my paintings initially sold well, I think. And then once they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/galleries-in-the-west-have-probably-been-looking-for-exoticism-that-s/)

[Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/)

> [Calling something exotic emphasizes its distance from the reader. We don't refer to things as exotic if we think of them as ordinary. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/calling-something-exotic-emphasizes-its-distance-from-the-reader-we/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [“Normalization takes place not because there is Western-ideology that normalizes third-world texts in any special way (other than the usual play with exoticism) but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aijaz-ahmad/normalization-takes-place-not-because-there-is-western-ideology-that/)

Aijaz Ahmad

> [Fashion is, perhaps by necessity, in a world of its own - one that only rarely overlaps with anything resembling real life. This fantasy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-aletti/fashion-is-perhaps-by-necessity-in-a-world-of-its-own-one-that-only/)

Vince Aletti

> [“I liked the exoticism his travels gave him, the unknownness. He had blown in with the soft breezes of a wider world, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-liked-the-exoticism-his-travels-gave-him-the-unknownness-he-had/)

[jojo moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/)

> [“To most Westerners, the Philippines suffers from a lack of exoticism. Simply put, Philippine culture is just too accessible. To a young Western backpacker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-martin/to-most-westerners-the-philippines-suffers-from-a-lack-of-exoticism/)

Steven Martin

> [“After two years' absence she finally returned to chilly Europe, a trifle weary, a trifle sad, disgusted by our banal entertainments, our shrunken landscapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/after-two-years-absence-she-finally-returned-to-chilly-europe-a/)

[Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/)

## More by Sam Abell

> [Photography, alone of the arts, seems perfected to serve the desire humans have for a moment - this very moment - to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/photography-alone-of-the-arts-seems-perfected-to-serve-the-desire/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [I did it once, and National Geographic recruited me. I did it primarily out of curiosity. A lot of legendary photographers had worked on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-did-it-once-and-national-geographic-recruited-me-i-did-it-primarily/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [I can't speak for other photographers, but the photographers who went forward strongly when the so-called "official" part of their career ended, to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-can-t-speak-for-other-photographers-but-the-photographers-who-went/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Actually, ambition won't get you that far. You'll shift gears. You'll see something that's shinier. But if you believe... then you're the long-distance runner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/actually-ambition-won-t-get-you-that-far-you-ll-shift-gears-you-ll/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [A mad, keen photographer needs to get out into the world and work and make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/a-mad-keen-photographer-needs-to-get-out-into-the-world-and-work-and/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [I have this awareness that the more dynamic the situation is, the more on guard I need to be that the dynamic isn't controlling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-have-this-awareness-that-the-more-dynamic-the-situation-is-the-more/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [What I'm interested in is modern American history. I'm taken with the changes that have occurred in America in my lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/what-i-m-interested-in-is-modern-american-history-i-m-taken-with-the/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Essentially what photography is is life lit up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/essentially-what-photography-is-is-life-lit-up/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Life rarely presents fully finished photographs. An image evolves, often from a single strand of visual interest - a distant horizon, a moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/life-rarely-presents-fully-finished-photographs-an-image-evolves/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Photographs that transcend but do not deny their literal situation appeal to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/photographs-that-transcend-but-do-not-deny-their-literal-situation/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [I wanted life to be episodic. I wanted to be a magazine photographer and I was willing to do what it took to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/i-wanted-life-to-be-episodic-i-wanted-to-be-a-magazine-photographer/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [ That statement \[ Stephen Ambrose:'You, Sam, have the hardest job, which is, pretend like nothing has happened in the last 200 years.'\] woke me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/that-statement-stephen-ambrose-you-sam-have-the-hardest-job-which-is/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [The unusual wins out over the usual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/the-unusual-wins-out-over-the-usual/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [Even though I teach with 35mm, my method takes people by surprise, because it isn't fast, and it isn't about hardware or software, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/even-though-i-teach-with-35mm-my-method-takes-people-by-surprise/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [The class that I teach is called "The Life of a Photograph." It takes up the question, of the billion photographs that were taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/the-class-that-i-teach-is-called-the-life-of-a-photograph-it-takes-up/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

[Explore all 87 Sam Abell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

## More Care quotes

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/)

[Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/)

[Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/)

[James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/)

> [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/)

[Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/)

> [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

[Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Exotic novelty. My statement to [people] is always, well, set this picture in your home town, is it still an interesting picture? Or is it just exotic? Would I care about this same picture minus its exoticism?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Abell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is-always-well-set-this-picture/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Care"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is-always-well-set-this-picture/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/sam-abell-7768_care_exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is_1058392.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Exotic novelty. My statement to [people] is always, well, set this picture in your home town, is it still an…” — Sam Abell",
                "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": "Sam Abell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Exotic novelty. My statement to [people]...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is-always-well-set-this-picture/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/exotic-novelty-my-statement-to-people-is-always-well-set-this-picture/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
